Louisiana Man Sentenced for Business Email Compromise Scheme

BOSTON – A Louisiana man was sentenced today in connection with an international business email compromise scheme that defrauded companies of almost $900,000.

Larry Brown Jr., 37, of Lafayette, La., was sentenced during a videoconference to time-served (approximately 10 months in prison), three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $10,425. In April 2020, Brown pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In April 2019, Brown was charged with co-defendant Paul M. Iwuanyanwu, 39, of Medfield.

Brown and, allegedly, Iwuanyanwu worked with others who breached the email systems of companies and installed unauthorized computer programs that diverted company emails to accounts controlled by the conspirators. As a result, emails sent by or to the companies were first routed through the email accounts where conspirators could view the messages. Conspirators also had the ability to send and respond to emails as if they were representatives of the companies.

It is alleged that conspirators used this unauthorized access to companies’ email accounts to cause the companies to redirect payments intended for legitimate business operations to bank accounts controlled by Brown and Iwuanyanwu.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom, of Lelling’s Securities & Financial Fraud Unit and Carol Head, of Lelling’s Asset Recovery Unit, are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.