Chicago, IL – A former Big Ten Network employee has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison after admitting to embezzling approximately $4 million from the television network over an eight-year period, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
According to federal prosecutors, Weston Goldstein, 48, who served as BTN’s senior director of engineering, was sentenced on Thursday, July 16, 2026, to 28 months in prison for wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin also ordered Goldstein to pay $4,008,719.81 in restitution, representing the full amount prosecutors said he fraudulently obtained.
Authorities said that between January 2016 and August 2023, Goldstein used company credit cards and BTN’s procurement process to purchase approximately $4 million worth of Apple products using company funds. Prosecutors alleged he then resold the devices through online marketplaces, including eBay and Mercari, for roughly $1.1 million.
Federal officials said Goldstein spent about $630,000 of the proceeds on personal expenses, including restaurants, merchandise, and automotive costs. Prosecutors said he also transferred approximately $470,000 to an individual whom Goldstein claimed was extorting him following an online relationship.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Goldstein pleaded guilty to wire fraud after being charged in July 2025. Prosecutors alleged he exploited reduced oversight during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue the years-long scheme, even after being instructed to stop purchasing equipment for the company.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Chmura argued in court filings that the fraud was a deliberate and sustained scheme carried out over several years rather than a single lapse in judgment.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Chicago Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
