United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

NORWALK MAN SENTENCED FOR HIS ROLE IN INTERNET FRAUD SCHEME

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PHILLIP LAGANA, age 28, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in an internet fraud scheme. Chief Judge Chatigny also ordered LAGANA to pay $48,570 in restitution.

On August 13, 2003, LAGANA pleaded guilty, admitting that he, Randall Forcellina, and others had participated in a scheme whereby they would access internet chat rooms using a computer and a device to capture the screen-names of the individuals participating in the chat room. According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, Forcellina sent electronic mail messages to the chat-room participants falsely representing that the email message was from an Internet Service Provider, and falsely informing the recipient of the email message that the recipient's billing information was incorrect and requesting current personal identification information and financial information, including a current credit card account number. With LAGANA's permission, Forcellina then used LAGANA's computer to create an email account to receive responses to the email messages that he previously forwarded.

In addition, Forcellina and, on occassion, LAGANA telephoned Western Union and, using the credit card account number and other personal information obtained as a result of the scheme, requested that Western Union transfer money to various locations in Connecticut and New York. LAGANA and others would then pick up the money from the Western Union locations in exchange for a portion of the proceeds obtained. The defendants referred to this scheme as "doing a wu."

Approximately $48,000 was obtained as a result of the scheme, while another $58,000 in fraudulent Western Union transfers was unsuccessfully attempted.

On June 18, 2004, Randall Forcellina was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment and also ordered to pay $48,570 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Norwalk Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James J. Finnerty.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov