Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Defendant used proceeds to purchase a Mercedes-Benz, an engagement ring, freightliner trucks and a $1.9 million luxury condo in Boston’s Seaport District
BOSTON — The boyfriend of a senior level employee in the technology operations group at the multinational pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) was convicted today by a federal jury of setting up a fake consulting company that billed Takeda for services it never actually provided.
Samuel N. Montronde, 39, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud by a federal jury in Boston. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2025. The jury acquitted Montronde of one count of wire fraud conspiracy. Montronde was arrested and charged in January 2023 along with his girlfriend Priya Bhambi – a former senior employee in the technology operations group of Takeda. The two were later indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023.
“Today’s jury verdict makes it crystal clear that greed and deception have serious consequences. Mr. Montronde and his girlfriend exploited her senior-level position at Takeda to line their own pockets, stealing millions to bankroll a luxury lifestyle—complete with a high-end Mercedes and a multi-million-dollar condo in Boston’s Seaport. I commend Takeda for reporting this fraud to the authorities promptly. As a result, both culpable individuals have been convicted and held accountable for this egregious breach of trust and the government was able to seize assets with an estimated value of over $1.5 million. This case sends two strong messages – first, there are very serious consequences for executives who exploit their positions to line their own pockets and second, for companies who are victims of embezzlement, law enforcement stands ready to do whatever it can to recoup stolen funds and hold individuals accountable for fraud.” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This office will not hesitate to hold accountable those who exploit trust and steal to fund their own extravagance.”
“Samuel Montronde would do anything for love, including setting up a phony consulting company to help his girlfriend embezzle $2.3 million from Takeda so they could live lavishly, well beyond their bank accounts,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. We are pleased with the jury’s verdict.”.
In 2022, Montronde and Bhambi orchestrated and executed a scheme to defraud Takeda of at least $2.3 million in payments for purported consulting services by submitting fabricated invoices on behalf of a sham consulting company. Bhambi had previously engaged in the same fraud using a different sham consulting company, resulting in payments from Takeda totaling nearly $300,000 for consulting services that were never provided.
In February 2022, Montronde, in coordination with Bhambi, incorporated a fake consulting firm, Evoluzione Consulting LLC (Evoluzione). Later, Bhambi created a website for Evoluzione with false information, including fabricated blog posts, to make it appear that Evoluzione was a legitimate consulting business.
After incorporating Evoluzione, Bhambi, in coordination with Montronde, submitted a statement of work to Takeda and caused Takeda to sign a master services agreement with Evoluzione and issue a purchase order to Evoluzione for consulting services with a total cost of $3.542 million. Then, between March and May of 2022, Bhambi and Montronde fabricated and submitted five separate invoices to Takeda for services that Evoluzione had not performed, each in the amount of $460,000. The defendants also created a fictional employee “Jasmine” to handle communications with Takeda. When questioned by Takeda employees, Bhambi made false representations regarding the services purportedly provided by Evoluzione. Before discovering the scheme and terminating Bhambi, Takeda, relying on these false representations, paid all five of the invoices to business accounts opened by Montronde in the name of Evoluzione.
In June 2024, Bhambi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. On Oct. 30, 2024, she was sentenced to 46 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Bhambi was also ordered to pay $2,585,480 in restitution.
In total, Bhambi and Montronde defrauded Takeda of $2.3 million in payments to Evoluzione for services not provided. The couple used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase a Mercedes-Benz Model Class E, a diamond engagement ring, freightliner trucks, a $1.9-million 2-bedroom condo in Boston’s Seaport District and a $50,000 wedding venue deposit. These assets are now subject to the Court’s forfeiture order.
U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Takeda provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture matter.