Julia Dallas is a content editor for MyNorthwest. She's a Washington native and grew up in Adna. After earning her journalism degree from the University of Washington, she started working as a promotions assistant for Bonneville. She then earned her master's degree from Syracuse University.
A man who used to work in tech in Seattle was sentenced to prison for facilitating three separate fraud schemes — involving work, the pandemic and his love life. Westcott Francis-Curley, 31, will spend three years in prison and will have to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution after being found guilty of two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced the “Mr.
Francis-Curley’s fraud spiral stemmed from greed,” Acting U.S. Attorney Miller said via the release. “After his employer discovered his theft, he stole from a program designed to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic. And when those proceeds were gone, he committed identity theft against his former romantic partner. This sentence is an important step to break the cycle of fraud.”Francis-Curley has been in custody since March 2024, following an indictment in August 2023. The attorney’s office, citing records filed in the case, stated Francis-Curley started his first scheme in 2019 when he embezzled money from his former employer by misusing cloud computing resources and accounts he had access to as an employee. He used employer funds and his employee authorization to purchase cloud computing resources and then sell or lease them back to the company, paying himself with company money — obtaining more than $550,000. With his half million, Francis-Curley went on trips using private jets, stayed in luxury hotels and paid for a penthouse at Seattle’s Harbor Steps apartment complex. The attorney’s office saidthat even after he was caught, he emailed customer service and corporate executives to try to get another half-million dollars.In 2020, Francis-Curley struck again, this time defrauding the COVID-19 assistance Paycheck Protection Program that was designed to help small businesses during the pandemic. Using fake companies, he obtained nearly $100,000 — taking money from small businesses in need. His latest scheme in October 2022 gained him another $1,000. He obtained a credit card in the name of his former significant other and officials said the unpaid bill continues to impact the victim. “He had a comfortable life and a lucrative job, but that wasn’t enough,” Assistant United States Attorney David T. Martin wrote in asking for a three-year sentence. “Leveraging a bit of Google research and the trust of his employer, Francis-Curley — in his own words — ‘found a way to make as much money as’ he wanted. Within weeks of commencing the scheme, he was living large: private jets, luxury hotels, cash gifts to friends and family, monthly credit card bills approaching six figures — the list goes on. In two months, he went from paying himself $13,000, to a quarter-million dollars, to — he hoped — a half-million dollars. Only getting caught stopped that unabashed escalation.” The attorney’s office said the $689,675 in restitution will go to Francis-Curley’s former employer, the Small Business Administration and the person whose identity he used for credit card fraud.$10,000 worth of stolen Legos recovered via search warrant alongside stolen guns and drugs Pierce County sheriff's deputies used a search warrant to uncover tens of thousands of dollars worth of stolen Legos within a storage unit.Olympia police urge parent vigilance after child dies from drugs bought on social mediaA nonprofit in Olympia known for youth music was the victim of a robbery, where dozens of instruments were stolen by thieves.Two teens, including a 15-year-old, were arrested and charged in connection to the murder of McKinley Williams last February in Auburn.The Museum of Pop Culture , located in Seattle, steps into the realm of folklore and fantasy with its upcoming exhibition, “Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form.” In collaboration with the renowned Barbican Centre in London, the limited-time exhibition journeys through the rich, multifaceted world of Asian visual storytelling, paying homage to its historical Deciding when it's time for senior living can be challenging. However, a senior living community can be a positive step toward ensuring safety, health and happiness. Fighting hunger together: Safeway’s, Albertsons’ Nourishing Neighbors program tackles food insecurity‘Preventing the preventable:’ Most effective ways to protect your home from water damage Water damage stands as one of the most common and costly claims that homeowners face, accounting for nearly a quarter of all homeowners insurance claims.The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is hosting a tree-planting fundraiser, helping create a sustainable future for local communities, wildlife and the planet.
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