An engineer who worked for Microsoft has been sentenced to nine years in prison after stealing more than $10 million from the company .
According to the verdict, the defendant, Volodymyr Kvashuk , committed 18 felonies. More specifically, he is charged with five counts of fraud, six counts of money laundering, two counts of identity theft, two counts of filing false tax returns, and one count of mail fraud, one count of unauthorized device access fraud, and one count of protected computer access fraud .
Kvashuk initially worked as a contractor for Microsoft, before becoming an employee in August 2016. He was then fired in June 2018 after the company discovered his actions.
According to court documents and testimony at trial, while working at Microsoft, Kvashuk used his position to steal money from the company in the form of gift cards. He then resold those goods online ,using the proceeds to buy expensive homes and cars, according to the Justice Department.
To carry out the thefts, Kvashuk used three test email associated with other Microsoft employees in an attempt to cover his tracks. These accounts yielded approximately $10.1 million in stored value.
He also used a bitcoin “mixing” service in an attempt to hide the source of funds flowing into his bank and investment accounts. Over a seven-month period, approximately $2.8 million in bitcoin was transferred into his bank and investment accounts. These amounts were then reported as gifts from a relative on his tax returns.
“Kvashuk’s scheme involved lies and deception at every step. He used his colleagues, through their accounts, to steal money from the company. Instead of taking responsibility, he testified and told a series of outrageous lies. There is no sign that Kvashuk has shown remorse for his crimes,” prosecutors told the court.
Along with the prison sentence, Kvashuk is also required to pay $8.3 million in restitution and may be deported to Ukraine after serving his sentence.
