Jail for Mass. scientist convicted in fraud scheme | Crime

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A former scientist and Pittsfield business executive has sentenced to just over a year in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from the federal government.

A federal judge in Boston also ordered Christopher Wilson on Wednesday to pay $100,000 in restitution to the government and serve six months of supervised release.

Willson was convicted in June of wire fraud and other charges.

Willson was the chief scientist at EV Worldwide LLC. From 2000 to 2005, EVW received federal funding to develop an electric battery for public transit buses. The company was required to match every federal dollar it spent with its own resources.

Willson wrongly obtained $700,000 after submitting 10 fraudulent invoices claiming EVW was matching the funds, when the company was millions in debt. He used some of the money to pay himself $100,000.

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