Calvin Duncan will serve 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release, after defrauding the City of Philadelphia out of over $1 million in ink and printer cartridges.
US District Court Judge Jan E. DuBois has also ordered the former Philadelphia Water Department clerk to pay restitution in the amount of $1,368,091.19 (€1,206,854.80) and ordered forfeiture of $545,412.39 (€481,132.813). Duncan pleaded guilty on 9 August 2013 to five counts of mail fraud, after ordering ink and toner cartridges that were allegedly for PWD employees’ use and then selling them on, over a six year period.
Duncan’s co-conspirators, Derek and Danita Willis, who own Laser Cartridge Plus in Russellville, Arkansas, pleaded guilty on 29 April 2014, and Derek Willis received a 36 months sentence and Danita Willis a 12 month and one day jail term for their involvement.
Amy Kurland, Inspector General for the City of Philadelphia, said at the Willis’ sentencing: “The City of Philadelphia could have used that money for a number of things. Approximately 500 students could have been educated. Teachers could have been hired to educate that number of students.
“The money could have also been used for equipment, for body cameras for 200 officers […] when something like this happens, when people are able to steal that amount of money from the city, it makes the citizens lose confidence in government and lose confidence in the city’s ability to function appropriately.”
Duncan was arrested in November 2012. US Attorney Zane David Memeger said at the time: “The fraud alleged in this indictment cost the city crucial funds that might have benefitted the taxpayers in other ways. This office will work with our partners in federal, state, and local government to pursue people who steal from their municipal employers.”
A Nigerian man was sentenced to three years in prison in New Jersey last month for defrauding cartridge suppliers out of almost $1 million (€882,145) in toner cartridges.