A Chicago man, David W. Brown, has been sentenced to nearly eight years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that fraudulently provided utility services to over 2,000 properties, causing $8.5 million in losses to utility companies.
Brown, 56, offered to arrange electricity and natural gas for residential and commercial properties in the Chicago area for a fee. He opened new utility accounts using false customer names and identifying information, knowing neither he nor the purported customers intended to pay. This allowed properties to receive free services for months until disconnection.
To continue the fraud, Brown would open new accounts under different false names at the same addresses once service termination was initiated. He collected payments ranging from $50 to $150 every few months from property owners and tenants. From 2017 to 2024, his scheme defrauded Commonwealth Edison, Nicor Gas, and People’s Gas of approximately $8.5 million.
Brown pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud in July 2025. U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced him to 92 months in prison and ordered him to pay $8.5 million in restitution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young noted in the government’s sentencing memorandum that “Defendant’s scheme caused significant losses to local utility service providers” and “his primary motivation was to benefit himself.”