A Jonesport man was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to more than three years in federal prison for illegally transferring nearly $100,000 from an estate using a PayPal app on his phone and using the money to make purchases from iTunes and Apple.
In addition to prison time, U.S. District Judge John Woodcock ordered Donald McMahon, 34, to pay $100,689.86 in restitution. McMahon used the money to make about 700 online transactions to purchase the products from iTunes and Apple, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
McMahon pleaded guilty in January to one count of wire fraud and admitted that between April and October 2020, he embezzled the money from an estate being probated in Washington County. McMahon gained access to funds in the estate while working part time for an heir, according to court documents.
When interviewed by an FBI agent in June 2021, McMahon admitted that he had planned on using only several hundred dollars initially, but that “it just got out of hand,” a court document said.
Information about how much of the estate McMahon stole has not been made public.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, McMahon faced between 30 and 37 months in prison. Woodcock imposed a 37-month sentence and ordered McMahon, who remains free on bail, to report on Sept. 9.
