A Ghanaian national living in Greenwich, Connecticut, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for defrauding the University of Connecticut (UConn) through a tuition refund scheme. Dickson Alorwornu, also known as “Dixon Al,” age 36, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford. In addition to the 48-month prison term, he will serve two years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at trial, Alorwornu used stolen identities in December 2017 to submit two non-degree student applications to UConn. He funded these accounts with over $62,000 using credit card information taken from three victims. After withdrawing from the courses in early 2018, he requested refunds from UConn and subsequently received approximately $46,000 transferred into bank accounts he controlled.
Investigators found that email accounts linked to Alorwornu were also involved in similar schemes targeting other universities, resulting in more than $500,000 in losses.
Alorwornu was arrested on February 1, 2023. On October 29, 2024, a jury convicted him of two counts of wire fraud.
His criminal record includes a prior conviction in New York in 2017 for offenses involving stolen credit cards and personal identifying information.
Alorwornu is currently released on a $50,000 bond and must report to prison by April 20.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the UConn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Elena Coronado prosecuted the case.
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