Grovetown man convicted in scam scheme, ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution

A Columbia County man was recently sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty in a scheme to sell expensive computer equipment to more than 40 customers who never received their orders.

Steven Drawdy, 40, of Grovetown, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, according to a news release from Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Drawdy to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Steven Drawdy ripped off dozens of people by preying on their desire to make money in the complex world of cryptocurrency," Steinberg noted in the release. "Our law enforcement partners did exceptional work in identifying and shutting down this scheme."

Grovetown sex trafficking arrest: Sex trafficking victim escapes Grovetown home, alleged abuser arrested

As described in court documents and testimony, from about August 2021 through April 2022, Drawdy participated in an online cryptocurrency discussion forum and received more than $1.1 million from at least 42 victims who believed they were paying Drawdy to provide them with cryptocurrency "mining" computers, according to the release.

Instead of delivering the computers, Drawdy pocketed the payments and eventually ceased communicating with the customers, according to the release. In some cases, he offered a partial refund, but would require the customer to pay a "processing fee" to receive the refund – then would not provide the refund or the computer while discontinuing all communications with the customer.

"While using the latest in technology as his hook to attack victims, Drawdy’s actions were nothing more than old-fashioned fraud," Brian Ozden, FBI Atlanta assistant special agent in charge, noted in the release. "The FBI will continue to go after criminals doing any type of fraud and seek to hold them accountable."

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Grovetown man convicted in scam scheme, ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution