A Brockton man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for defrauding Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited of $2.3 million. Samuel N. Montronde, aged 39, was handed the sentence by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV and will also serve two years of supervised release following his prison term. Montronde is required to pay $2.3 million in restitution after being convicted on three counts of wire fraud in December 2024.
Montronde, along with his girlfriend Priya Bhambi, orchestrated a scheme involving a fake consulting company that billed Takeda for non-existent services. Bhambi was a former senior employee at Takeda's technology operations group and played a significant role in the fraudulent activities.
In February 2022, Montronde and Bhambi set up Evoluzione Consulting LLC as a sham consulting firm. They created a false website for the company and submitted fraudulent invoices to Takeda totaling $3.542 million for services not rendered. The scheme included fabricating an employee named "Jasmine" to manage communications with Takeda.
Bhambi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud in June 2024, receiving a 46-month prison sentence in October 2024, along with two years of supervised release and an order to pay $2,585,480 in restitution.
The fraudulent funds were used by the couple for luxury purchases including a Mercedes-Benz, diamond engagement ring, freightliner trucks, a Boston condo valued at $1.9 million, and a wedding venue deposit of $50,000—all subject to forfeiture under court orders.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and FBI Special Agent Jodi Cohen announced the sentencing today with assistance from Takeda during the investigation led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright and Mackenzie A. Queenin.