Fraudsters Take $400K From BCCC, Use It For Plastic Surgery: Cops

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — One of two women wanted in connection with a fraudulent $407,000 money transfer from Bucks County Community College has been arrested and arraigned, police announced.

Kathryne Simon, 27, of the Bronx, New York, was wanted by police in Newtown Township in connection with her alleged role in the fraud scheme. Another 27-year-old New York women has been charged as well.

According to police, college officials reported the fraud to police in January. College personnel at the time explained they had been recently contacted by a person who said they were from a construction company with which BCCC had been conducting business.

The person, utilizing an email domain believed to be legitimately associated with the construction company, instructed BCCC personnel to make a $407,516 payment to the construction company to a specified bank account.

After the funds had been transferred, BCCC was in communication with the actual construction company, and learned that the fund transfer was a fraud, police said.

Newtown Township Police Detectives, investigating the incident, soon learned that stolen funds were transferred to the business account of an elderly New Jersey resident.

That person was previously befriended by an individual through an online dating site the year before, and was "coerced" into allowing the person utilize the elderly victim’s business bank account to receive the funds, police said. That same elderly victim was then told to make four separate $100,000 bank wire transfers in the amount to various other bank accounts.

Detectives determined that two of those $100,000 wire transfers were received by Simon's personal bank accounts, as well as one owned by Precious Etsekhume, 27.

Etsekhume and Simon spent the stolen funds on items such as clothing and plastic surgery, polices said. Additionally, they allegedly made other money transfers.

Charges filed against Etsekhume and Simon include Dealing in Proceeds of Unlawful Activity, Receiving Stolen Property, and Criminal Conspiracy. Simon was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Petrucci. Bail was set at $100,000, unsecured.