South Windsor Man Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Grandparents

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — A South Windsor resident accused just over a year ago of bilking his grandparents of nearly $700,000 pleaded guilty in a federal court in New Haven Wednesday to one count of wire fraud, according to Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Douglas Senerth, 32, who has been detained in state custody since Feb. 10, 2021 on unrelated charges, pleaded guilty to a fraud offense related to the theft, Boyle said.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Senerth defrauded his grandmother and his late grandfather between 2011 and 2019 by falsely claiming to be a college student and inducing them to give him around $419,000 to pay for nonexistent college tuition and other related expenses, and an additional $260,000 by falsely claiming that he would invest their money into an investment fund run by one of his nonexistent professors, Boyle said.

As part of the scheme, Senerth created fraudulent college transcripts, letters and email accounts that he used to corroborate his lies, Boyle said.

Senerth has agreed to pay restitution of $679,944., according to Boyle.

Wire fraud carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Senerth is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on May 17.