Man charged for alleged role in ‘sophisticated’ theft of $60K+ from estate of CT resident

Justin Muszynski, Hartford CourantHartford Courant

A Georgia man faces charges for his alleged role in a “sophisticated and organized fraud operation” that led to more than $60,000 being stolen from the estate of a Connecticut resident.

Kevin Young, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia was arrested on May 1 on charges of second-degree money laundering, first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, Connecticut State Police said in a news release Thursday.

According to the warrant affidavit supporting the charges, police were contacted on March 18, 2025, by an attorney who represented the estate of a Connecticut resident. The attorney reported that $62,800 was transferred out of the man’s Fidelity account in November 2024 after his death and into a Middlesex Federal Savings account, the warrant affidavit said. The attorney said he contacted Fidelity and learned that the man’s account had never transferred funds to that savings account before.

The account number used in the transfer was found to be tied to a Novo account, which is a digital banking service, according to the warrant affidavit. The attorney told police he contacted Novo but that a spokesperson would not provide more information, state police wrote.

State police obtained a search warrant for records tied to the account, which allegedly showed that it belonged to Young and his business, Sophisticated Funk, LLC., according to the warrant affidavit. The records also allegedly showed that $62,800 was deposited into the account, state police wrote.

During two subsequent transactions, Young allegedly withdrew a total of $29,625, according to the warrant affidavit. State police said they obtained a search warrant for Young’s JP Morgan Chase account, which allegedly showed that the funds were put into the account, the warrant affidavit said.

State police said they were initially unable to contact Young.

In February, an inspector from the State’s Attorney’s Office in Superior Court in Torrington reached out to Young’s employer and requested that he contact him in connection with a fraud investigation, the warrant affidavit said. Days later, Young called the inspector and allegedly admitted that he was involved in “fraudulent activity,” state police wrote.

Young allegedly said he received about $15,000 for his role in the operation and that he had been “coached” by an individual he only knew as “DC” or “Swordfish,” the warrant affidavit said. He said the only communications they had were through WhatsApp, an encrypted messaging platform, according to the warrant affidavit.

Young agreed to speak with investigators again days later on a video call, during which he provided more details about the organized fraud operation, according to the warrant affidavit. Young was able to identify one other individual who was allegedly involved in the scheme, but he said it was not uncommon in fraud operations like this for the “mules” to not know the identity of the leader, state police wrote.

Young claimed that he would receive instructions on creating bank accounts for the sole purposes of engaging in fraudulent activity, which involved moving money, buying Bitcoin and giving the leader his or her share, the warrant affidavit said. Overall, Young said he could not estimate how much money he or “DC” had made by working together, which he claimed started in October 2023, according to the warrant affidavit.

State police allege that Young changed parts of his story multiple times as he spoke to investigators, and that he looked visibly nervous, the warrant affidavit said.

When questioned about the business he created, Young allegedly told police it was “legitimate,” though investigators noted in the warrant affidavit that, since its inception in 2021, it had not allegedly been used for any legitimate purposes.

Following his arrest, Young was initially held on a $50,000 bond and arraigned the same day. A judge released him on a promise to appear and continued the case until May 26, according to court records.

Young has not entered a plea, records show.