(WNY News Now) – HARRISBURG, P.A. — A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay more than $66,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to an identity theft scheme involving fraudulent purchases of high-end liquor across Pennsylvania.
Eugene K. Antwi, 26, was sentenced Monday in Dauphin County Court to serve 4 to 23 months in prison, followed by two years of probation. The sentence was handed down by Edward Marsico after Antwi pleaded guilty to felony identity theft and theft by deception.
According to Dave Sunday, Antwi orchestrated a scheme that used stolen credit and debit card information along with falsified identities to place more than 200 online orders for expensive liquor. The total value of the fraudulent purchases exceeded $66,000.
Investigators said Antwi carried out the scheme between August 2023 and September 2024, picking up orders from stores in 21 counties across the Commonwealth. Authorities noted that the fraudulent transactions impacted both individual victims and the state’s liquor system.
“This defendant crossed the Commonwealth to perpetrate a criminal scheme stealing from unsuspecting Pennsylvanians and defrauding the Liquor Control Board,” Sunday said in a statement, crediting coordination among law enforcement agencies and the work of a statewide grand jury for uncovering the operation.
The case stemmed from a joint investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Pennsylvania State Police. Findings were presented to the 52nd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, which helped detail the scope of the alleged criminal activity.
Prosecutors said Antwi’s actions represented a coordinated retail crime effort involving identity theft and deception to obtain goods unlawfully. The charges were filed jointly by the Attorney General’s Office and state police.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Philip McCarthy and Deputy Attorney General Kelsey Ashworth of the Organized Retail Crime Section.
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