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Hartford County resident Ariel Legassa, age 49, of the town of Burlington, was arrested and charged with mail fraud, according to a report from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Legassa made his first appearance in federal court on Wednesday, the report said.
Legassa is accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud New England Sports Network from December 2020 to January 2022.
He allegedly negotiated a legitimate contract with a New York company to provide web development services for the NESN while simultaneously creating a fake business under a similar name in Connecticut.
Legassa is accused of using the fake company to receive fraudulent payments from the New England Sports Network.
He also is accused of creating and approving fake invoices from the Connecticut company.
"In all, it is alleged that NESN paid the Connecticut company, which did not have an actual business purpose, $575,500 into an account controlled by Legassa, who then spent the funds on personal expenses and transferred the funds into other accounts under his control," the US Attorney's Office said.
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