Brother-Sister Duo Headed to Prison for Fraud Scheme

MATAWAN, NJ— A brother and sister were sentenced to prison after being found guilty of orchestrating a $3.7 million fraud, according to federal prosecutors.

Shevandra Verasawmi, 38, of Matawan was sentenced to 87 months in prison and Vishallie Verasawmi, 37, of Green Brook, received four years, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.

The pair had been accused of sending fake invoices to a New Brunswick medical services company where Vishallie worked and had access to the accounts payable system.

The two defrauded the company, which was not identified in court documents, into paying the Verasawmis’ shell companies for services that were never provided, Carpenito said.

The siblings then shifted the money to their bank accounts and used the money on credit card purchases. Vishallie bought a 2016 BMW 750Li sedan with some of the money, Carpenito’s office said.

They forfeited $1,066,830 in proceeds from the scheme, along with the BMW.

U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson sentenced the Verasawmis in Trenton federal court after a one-week trial. The jury deliberated for an hour.