The former Cisco CCIE who was convictedof defrauding the company has been sentenced to almost three years behind bars. Kent S. Andrews, 41, of Middleburg Heights, OH., was sentenced in a federal court to 33 months in prison following his recent conviction for executing a scheme and artifice to defraud Cisco of almost $2 million in computer networking equipment. Andrews will serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration, according to William J. Edwards, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Andrews was also ordered to pay restitution to Cisco in the amount of $1,982,926.00, and a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.
On February 11, Andrews was charged in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland with one count of mail fraud. Andrews pleaded guilty to the offense on February 27.
The charge stated that between December, 2003, and May, 2006, Andrews executed a scheme to defraud Cisco by causing Cisco to ship approximately 241 items of computer networking equipment. Andrews submitted fraudulent service claims under Cisco’s Advance Replacement program, part of the company’s SMARTnet service offering.
Under SMARTnet, Cisco customers are able to obtain replacement parts for failed or defective parts without first returning the defective part. Andrews submitted the SMARTnet claims even though he did not possess the claimed defective parts.
After fraudulently obtaining the parts from Cisco, Andrews sold much of the equipment on eBay.
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