OC man sentenced to prison for defrauding glove buyers during pandemic | KFI AM 640

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – An Orange County man was sentenced Friday to seven years and three months in federal prison for defrauding victims who paid more than $3 million for COVID-19-related protective medical equipment that was never delivered.

Christopher Badsey, 63, of Lake Forest, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud in downtown Los Angeles in April 2023.

Badsey told shoppers he has access to millions of boxes of medical-grade nitrile gloves through his Irvine-based company, First Defense International Security Services Corp. This type of personal protective equipment has been in high demand and in short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to documents filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Badsey entered into contracts with three companies that required them to post a deposit so they could inspect the gloves before delivery.

After receiving the deposit, Badsey instructed representatives of the affected companies to travel to the Los Angeles area, where he said the gloves were stored in a warehouse.

However, when the victims attempted to visit the warehouse, Badsey and other FDI staff provided excuses as to why the gloves could not be inspected or delivered to them.

Badsey directed the companies to transfer the deposits to accounts controlled by himself, FDI, or a co-investigator. Based on Badsey's false statements, the companies transferred a total of $3.23 million.

The defendant “used the deposit money to make expensive purchases while misleading potential buyers with false stories, including absurd claims that government officials had blocked his access to his glove warehouse,” federal prosecutors argued in a sentencing memo.

Badsey has lost all property rights and claims to money or items from his crimes, including a yacht, a pontoon boat, two Mercedes-Benz cars, two Ford pickup trucks, a motor home, a tractor, three ATVs, various fishing equipment and $58,923 in cash, prosecutors said.

In addition to his 87-month prison sentence, Badsey was ordered Friday to pay more than $1.9 million in restitution to the victims, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.