A federal jury in Hartford has found Dickson Alorwornu ‘Dixon Al’, 35, a citizen of Ghana residing in Greenwich, guilty of fraud offences.
The trial before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala began on October 23, and the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts of an indictment this afternoon.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, in December 2017, Alorwornu used other individuals’ names, fake Social Security numbers, and email addresses to submit two non-degree student applications to the University of Connecticut.
He then used American Express card information stolen from three victims to fund the two student accounts with a total of more than $62,000 in fraudulently obtained funds.
In early 2018, Alorwornu withdrew from the courses and requested that UConn refund his deposited money.
UConn subsequently transferred tens of thousands of dollars to bank accounts Alorwornu controlled. The investigation revealed that the email accounts that Alorwornu used to defraud UConn were also used to commit fraud at other universities.
The jury found Alorwornu guilty of two counts of wire fraud, an offence that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 19.
Alorwornu was arrested on February 1, 2023. He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
