BRANFORD A Missouri man has been accused and extradited to Connecticut in relation to a wire fraud conspiracy that embezzled over $350,000 from a finance company located in Branford.
Shawn Evans, 57, of Sikeston, Missouri, was taken into custody on June 20 in Missouri as a wanted criminal and taken to Connecticut by Branford detectives on July 1.
Evans was charged with first-degree larceny and conspiracy to conduct first-degree larceny and was arraigned in New Haven Superior Court on July 2.
When a $355,859 illicit wire transfer was obtained from the Branford finance firm in May 2024, the inquiry got underway.
According to Branford police, the money was first transferred into an account under a false name before being linked to Evans’ personal JP Morgan Chase account.
After locating Evans and conducting a collaborative investigation with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in Benton, Missouri, Branford investigators linked him to a broader fraud conspiracy.
Evans later gave up his right to an extradition hearing and was placed under $500,000 bond.
The extradition warrant was authorized by the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office.
A sizable amount of the stolen funds found in JPMorgan Chase accounts, according to the police, have been found and given back to the victim business.
