What you need to know
- Jeff Tran, former director of sports marketing at Microsoft, sentenced to 28 months in prison for wire fraud.
- Tran pleaded guilty to attempting to steal more than $1.5 million from his former employer.
- His crimes included using stolen Super Bowl tickets and fake invoices.
Jeff Tran, former director of sports marketing at Microsoft, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for wire fraud (via GeekWire). The sentence came at the U.S. District Court in Seattle last Friday. In addition to his prison sentence, Tran was fined $50,000 by Chief U.S. District Judge Recardo Martinez.
In the guilty plea, it's stated that Tran sold 75 game tickets and 99 tailgate tickets for $250,000 of profit during the 2016 and 2017 Super Bowl events. The tickets were intended to be distributed to Microsoft employees.
Tran also issued fake invoices worth $1,445,000 combined. The first invoice was wired to Tran's bank account, and the second invoice was attempted to be paid into a company controlled by Tran called Tranmerica, Inc.
Tran was in charge of Microsoft's promotional relationship with the NFL that includes teams using Surface tablets.
Tran has paid back $1,036,800 to Microsoft to cover losses. He was originally indicted on five counts of wire fraud in October, but four of them were dropped as part of the deal.
Portable (and affordable) power accessories we love
Each and every one of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $30.
VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power bank ($13 at Dell)
This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge any and all your devices, thanks to a two-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its simple design includes an LED indicator, and it costs about as much as a single ticket to the movies.
Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)
Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and just a couple of them will keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when you need them. They're also eco. And the company's affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.
Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)
This unobtrusive Qi wireless charging pad looks good (and kind of like a UFO …) and easily charges all your Qi-compatible device up to 5W. Its LED indicator lights up when you're charging. And it costs just $30.
