CONCORD, N.H. — After a two-week trial, a Windham man was convicted by a federal petit jury Oct. 11 for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his ownership of an information technology company that contracted with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley while being employed by United Way.
Imran Alrai, 50, was convicted of 12 counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering as the result of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI. Alrai was ordered detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2025.
“Alrai was driven by greed, stealing millions of dollars through an elaborate fraud that took money from those in need. He spent these funds with disregard to the fact that the money he wasted was meant to help make a better life for the members of our community,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “HSI is proud to use to our expertise in international financial crime to unravel this scheme and bring it finally to today’s verdict.”
“The jury’s swift verdicts in this case underscores the overwhelming evidence presented at trial of Mr. Alrai’s guilt,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Over the past two weeks, prosecutors skillfully untangled the web of the defendant’s deceit, highlighting for the jury how he used his position of trust to rig and maintain a major contract with United Way in favor of a company he owned and controlled. The United Way lost millions to the defendant — we hope the jury’s verdicts in this case is a step forward for their community.”
“Imran Alrai abused his position of trust with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley to steal millions of dollars to which he knew he wasn’t entitled, money that was intended to help the less fortunate in our area. Instead, he used it to pay off his house, and increase his personal wealth,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division Jodi Cohen. “The FBI is grateful for the jury’s swift verdict, and we will not hesitate to investigate and bring to justice anyone engaged in such egregious financial fraud.”
Between 2012 and June 2018, Alrai, an IT professional at the United Way, obtained approximately $6.7 million in payments for IT services supposedly provided to United Way by an independent outside contractor, DigitalNet Technology Solutions, Inc. Alrai misrepresented material facts about DigitalNet and fraudulently concealed that he owned and controlled DigitalNet. In early 2013, Alrai rigged the bidding process for a major contract to provide managed IT services at the United Way so that DigitalNet was chosen. Alrai then gave fake references and false information about DigitalNet to United Way.
For the next five years, while serving as United Way’s Vice President for IT Services, Alrai steered additional IT work to DigitalNet, so that his company soon became United Way’s second-largest outside vendor, receiving more than $1 million annually. Alrai concealed his connection with DigitalNet from his colleagues. He routinely sent emails with attached invoices from a fictitious person to himself at United Way.
After the fraud came to light, in June 2018, officials at the United Way confronted Alrai and terminated him. Federal agents executed search and seizure warrants and seized incriminating documents and data from Alrai’s home office in Windham, as well as approximately $2.2 million in fraud proceeds in bank and investment accounts. During the scheme, Alrai wired $1.2 million in fraud proceeds to a DigitalNet bank account in Lahore, Pakistan.
According to expert testimony at the trial, United Way lost at least $3.5 million as a result of DigitalNet’s excessive billing, duplicate billing and billing for services not delivered.
HSI New England’s Manchester Resident Agent in Charge office and FBI Boston led the investigation.