And another get rich quick scheme

Decades ago, there was a little scandal in a big company I was working for.

I don't remember all the details. The incident didn't happen in my group; I didn't really know the people involved; etc. But from what I can recall, a woman in the marcomm department was fired for having funneled some work to a consulting company that was  - lo and behold - a company owned by herself and her husband. Thus, she was making her salary while simultaneously running a side hustle. I believe that she and/her husband actually did the after-hours work she was getting paid extra for. Nonetheless...

The fact that she (or, nominally, her husband) actually performed consulting work sets her apart from Priya Bhambi, formerly a senior technology officer at Takeda Pharmaceutical, and her beau Samuel Montronde. Instead Priya and Sam were just playing take-da money and hope you don't get caught. To the tune of $2.3M.

In the alleged scam, Bhambi helped set up a firm in 2018 to provide technology consulting services to Takeda, according to the affidavit. The firm — which wasn’t named in the affidavit — evidently never engaged in actual business but submitted purchase orders to Takeda in 2018 and 2019. Takeda paid about $300,000.

In 2022, Montronde set up another firm, called Evoluzione Consulting LLC, at an address associated with him in Brockton. Evoluzione also never engaged in actual business. In February of that year, Bhambi submitted a letter to Takeda saying that Evoluzione had acquired the first firm. The letter was signed by Montronde, who claimed to be managing partner.

Incorporation documents filed with the state secretary of state’s office said Evoluzione was “committed to transforming the organizations that it works with” and strives to “overcome obstacles and adversity,” according to the affidavit. Takeda made several payments to Evoluzione, including three for $460,000 each. (Source: Boston Globe)

The couple used the money to buy a $60K Mercedes and a $1.9M condo in Boston's Seaport district.

Nice non-work if you can get it.

It's not clear what Montronde's background is. Other than that he's from Brockton, I couldn't find much about him other than a possible match: someone with that name had a near-empty LinkedIn profile that listed him as supervisor at a local Y.

Bhambi's LinkedIn has disappeared, but not before people found that she has an undergraduate degree and an MBA from Northeastern, and a pretty impressive track record in biotech. So she was making plenty - at least, I'm guessing, a couple hundred thousand a year.

But then she came up with her get rich quick scheme. And was dumb enough to lay the plan out using unencrypted text messages.

In a series of text messages the two exchanged last January, Bhambi said she had “put some wheels in motion to pursuit [sic] a small hustle....I can’t be the

face of it though.” Montronde replied, “We become millionaires and we retire babe.” Bhambi responded, “I feel a bit like Geppetto, lol....Although I am not calling you a puppet.”

The scam unraveled when some Takeda employees started questioning what, exactly, they'd been paying for. A $2.3M grift might not be a lot for a company with $30B+ in revenues to absorb. But you have to question what kind of controls Takeda had in place. Fortunately, someone - maybe the person whose budget this fell under - caught things and had a WTF moment.

So Bhambi and her boo won't be retired millionaires any time soon. Instead, they're facing wire fraud charges and will be looking at time. $2.3M worth of time.

Bhambi is 39; Montronde 37. 

Even if things drag on for Geppetto and her little LOL Pinocchio, they'll likely spend a few years behind bars, and thus will be getting out in their early-mid forties. Those are years when, if you're going to be on your way to building your career, you're well on your way. And those are important years.

This almost comically dumb duo will be scrambling around trying to find someone to hire them. I believe in second chances, but I'd really have to think twice before giving one to either of these yoyos in any role that had any dollar responsibility attached to it. You'd be spending all your time looking over their shoulders. 

So good luck with your big dream, Priya and Samuel. Should have picked a different star to wish on.

Meanwhile, I found it interesting that Bhambi used a Disney cartoon analogy to describe their behavior. She should have listened to Jiminy Cricket when he told folks to "always let your conscience be your guide." That is, of course, assuming you have one.

Another Disney cartoon also comes to mind, and it's too late for that: Run, Bhambi, run.