An Orange County man was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for a COVID-related fraud scheme in which he took $3.2 million from companies in exchange for millions of boxes of nitrile gloves he did not actually have.
Christopher John Badsey, 63, was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $1.9 million in restitution following his guilty plea to four counts of wire fraud in April 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
In 2020, Badsey, a Lake Forest resident, told three companies that “he had access to millions of boxes of nitrile gloves through his Irvine-based company, First Defense International Security Services Corp.,” the DOJ said.
The gloves, which were “in high demand and short supply” during the early stages of the pandemic, did not actually exist, but Badsey signed contracts with the businesses, which paid him more than $3.2 million in total.
“[Badsey]…used the deposit money to make expensive purchases, all while stringing would-be purchasers along with false stories, including absurd claims that government agents were blocking access to his warehouse of gloves,” prosecutors said.
Those “expensive purchases” included a yacht, pontoon boat, two Mercedes-Benz cars and multiple other vehicles.
In addition to his sentence and restitution, Badsey has “forfeited all title and interest in money or items derived from his crimes,” including those vehicles and nearly $59,000 in cash, prosecutors added.