GREENWICH, CT (WFSB) – A man from the West African nation of Ghana was sentenced for operating a tuition refund scheme that defrauded universities, including UConn.
Dickson Alorwornu, also known as “Dixon Al,” will serve 4 years in prison and 2 years of supervised release, according to David X. Sullivan, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Sullivan cited evidence presented during Alorwornu’s trial.
He said that in Dec. 2017, Alorwornu used other individuals’ identities to submit two non-degree student applications to the University of Connecticut. He then used credit card information that had been stolen from three victims to fund the two student accounts with a total of more than $62,000 in fraudulently obtained funds.
“In early 2018, Alorwornu withdrew from the courses and requested that UConn refund the money he had deposited,” Sullivan said. “UConn subsequently transferred approximately $46,000 to bank accounts Alorwornu controlled.”
The investigation revealed that email accounts that Alorwornu used to defraud UConn were also used to defraud other universities of more than $500,000, Sullivan revealed.
Alorwornu was arrested on Feb. 1, 2023.
On Oct. 29, 2024, a jury found him guilty of two counts of wire fraud.
Sullivan said Alorwornu’s criminal history includes a conviction in New York in 2017 for an offense involving his using stolen credit cards and other individuals’ personal identifying information.
Alorwornu, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 20.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI and the UConn Police Department, Sullivan said.
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