Former Wyoming Catholic College CFO Receives Prison Sentence For Wire Fraud Relating to CARES Act Funding

The former Chief Financial Officer of the Wyoming Catholic College in Lander was recently sentenced to prison for wire fraud relating to CARES Act Stimulus funding. Chief United States District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl sentenced 33-year-old Paul McCown for four counts of wire fraud in relation to pandemic relief programs administered by the Wyoming Business Council and CARES Act funds, and three counts of wire fraud in relation to money fraudulently obtained from Ria R Squared, Inc., the proceeds of which were used in part to repay the Business Council.  

Skavdahl sentenced McCown to 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised probation and ordered him to pay $700 in special assessments. The court will determine any restitution amount at a later time. According to the Department of Justice, McCown was the CFO of the Wyoming Catholic College in Lander. He was also attempting to open a gin distillery.

When the Wyoming Business Council received CARES Act funds to distribute to Wyoming businesses suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, McCown applied for grants for his personal business even though he had never sold any gin. After his grants were audited, he agreed to pay back the $841,863 he fraudulently obtained from the State of Wyoming. Through his position at Wyoming Catholic College, he was introduced to a private financial management firm, Ria R. Squared, Inc. He then engaged in an elaborate scheme that included impersonating others and forging documents to fraudulently induce the financial management firm to loan him $15 million. This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.