News

Network Gear Reseller Arrested in Cisco Fraud Plot

Massachusetts man is alleged to have defrauded Cisco of millions through a scheme involving orders of 'defective' hardware.

(San Jose, Calif.) A Massachusetts businessman who resold Cisco Systems Inc. networking gear was arrested on charges he defrauded the technology company out of millions of dollars by cheating its program to replace broken or defective hardware.

Michael Daly, 53, of Danvers, Mass., was arrested Tuesday and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Boston federal court, according to federal prosecutors. After preliminary hearings in Boston, his case will be moved to San Jose, prosecutors said.

Daly faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of wire fraud.

Daly is accused of using false identities in 39 states to order networking gear from Cisco since 2003. He allegedly exploited a Cisco program that allows customers to immediately obtain replacements for broken or defective parts without having to send in the problem hardware first.

Daly ordered replacement parts at least 700 times and resold them without ever returning the defective items, or in some cases returning worthless parts that weren't covered under the program, prosecutors said.

San Jose-based Cisco makes the routers and switches that direct data traffic over computer networks, and the parts Daly obtained were worth between $995 to $25,000 each, prosecutors said. Some of the proceeds were used to buy classic cars.

Investigators also seized computer equipment, documents and other items from Daly's business, Data Resources Group, based in Salisbury, Mass.

The company's Web site describes Data Resources Group as a private company established in 1991 and offering the full line of Cisco products at "substantially discounted prices."

No one answered the phone at the number listed for the company Wednesday, and it was not immediately clear if Daly had retained a defense lawyer.

Featured

  • Microsoft Starts Countdown to Dynamics GP End-of-Support

    Dynamics GP, Microsoft's venerable enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for midsized businesses, is set to lose support in four years.

  • Image of a futuristic maze

    The 2024 Microsoft Product Roadmap

    Everything Microsoft partners and IT pros need to know about major Microsoft product milestones this year.

  • Windows Recall Preview Starts Rolling Out with Windows 11 24H2

    Microsoft on Tuesday began rolling out Windows 11 version 24H2, describing the update as a "full OS swap that contains new foundational elements required to deliver transformational Al experiences and exceptional performance."

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2024 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.