A Columbia County man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to a scheme to sell expensive computer equipment to more than 40 customers who never received their orders.
Steven Drawdy, 40, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Drawdy to pay restitution totalling more than $1.1 million and serve three years of supervised release upon completing his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Steven Drawdy ripped off dozens of people by preying on their desire to make money in the complex world of cryptocurrency,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Our law enforcement partners did exceptional work in identifying and shutting down this scheme.”
As described in court documents and testimony, from about August 2021 through April 2022, Drawdy participated in an online cryptocurrency discussion forum and received over $1.1 million from at least 42 victims who believed they were paying Drawdy to provide them with cryptocurrency “mining” computers.
Instead of delivering the computers, however, Drawdy would pocket the payments and eventually cease communicating with the customers. In some cases, he would offer a partial refund but would require the customer to pay a “processing fee” to receive the refund – and then would provide neither the refund nor the computer while discontinuing all communications with the customer.
“While using the latest in technology as his hook to attack victims, Drawdy’s actions were nothing more than old-fashioned fraud,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “The FBI will continue to go after criminals doing any type of fraud and seek to hold them accountable.”
- Former Army Reservist Cody Francis Guilty of Conspiring to Steal Government Funds - September 30, 2024
- Alphonse Bazile, Rayshaud Green Jailed 180 Months for Firearms Offences - September 30, 2024
- Gretna Resident Felix Mackey Sentenced to 192 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine, Cocaine Hydrochloride, Cocaine Base Trafficking - September 30, 2024
