IT Contractor Who Installed Unauthorized Remote Access and Shut Down a Client's Network Gets 9 Months

Published Oct. 29, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

Small businesses often hand one outside IT person the keys to everything: the network, the cameras, the passwords. Federal prosecutors in Connecticut say one consultant used that trust to install unauthorized remote-access software on a client's network and then knocked the business offline on 21 days, after the owner declined a monthly service contract.

Billie Conley Jr., 47, formerly of Shelton, Connecticut, who owned and ran Ridgefield Tech, LLC, was sentenced on Oct. 19, 2026, to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced [1]. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud on June 1, 2026.

Status: Conley has been convicted by guilty plea and sentenced. Restitution has not yet been set [1].

How the scheme worked

According to court documents and statements made in court, as summarized by the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

1. The job. In about September 2023, the owner of a funeral services business (identified in court papers only as "Individual-A" and "Company-A") hired Conley to set up a computer network and video surveillance system.
2. The hidden back door. While installing the network, Conley also installed, without authorization, software that let him access it remotely.
3. Problems, then fees. Soon after the installation, the business began having a variety of service problems, and the owner had to pay Conley to fix them.
4. The upsell. Conley offered an "IT Service Agreement" under which Ridgefield Tech would provide monthly service starting in February 2024, instead of charging per service call. The owner declined.
5. The shutdowns. Between January and September 2024, Conley remotely disabled the company's network on 21 separate days. On those days, the business could not operate.
6. Locked out. In August 2024, the owner hired a different firm ("Company-B"), which couldn't regain control over much of the network equipment Conley had installed. The owner had to pay that firm for labor and replacement equipment.
7. The bank account. The investigation also found that between June and August 2024, Conley used the company's bank account without permission to make about $9,070 in payments to companies that he and Ridgefield Tech owed money.

The person sentenced and his status

Billie Conley Jr., 47, formerly of Shelton, Connecticut; owner and operator of Ridgefield Tech, LLC [1].

• Plea: Pleaded guilty to wire fraud on June 1, 2026.
• Sentence: Nine months in prison and three years of supervised release, imposed by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven.
• Restitution: To be ordered by Judge Bolden after further proceedings.
• Custody: Conley has been held in state custody on unrelated charges since Dec. 2, 2024, and is scheduled to be released from state prison in September 2027, according to the release.

The FBI investigated, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel prosecuted [1].

Why this matters for small businesses

Most "tech support" scams involve strangers who call or pop up on a screen. This case shows the risk can also come from a real, hired provider. A contractor who installs your systems may also hold the admin passwords, the remote-access tools and the only map of how everything connects. If that relationship turns bad, the business can be left with no way to get back in.

Funeral homes, medical offices, law firms and other small businesses that can't afford a full-time IT staff are especially exposed, because a single person may control everything.

Red flags

These are general warning signs of this kind of scheme; not every one is alleged in this case.

• Unexplained outages that begin soon after a new install, especially if the same person is paid to fix them.
• Pressure to sign a monthly service contract after repeated problems.
• Remote-access software you didn't approve or can't identify on your computers.
• A provider who won't hand over admin passwords, network diagrams or account ownership.
• Unfamiliar payments from your business bank account.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Own your credentials. Make sure admin accounts for your network, cameras, domain and cloud services are in the business's name, and keep the passwords yourself.
2. Audit remote access. Ask a second, independent provider to check for remote-access tools and remove any you didn't authorize.
3. Change passwords and revoke access when you end a relationship with an IT vendor.
4. Watch your accounts and set alerts for new payments.
5. Report it. Contact local police and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. You can also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 29, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Billie Conley Jr., 47, formerly of Shelton, Conn. (Ridgefield Tech, LLC)	U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut	Pleaded guilty to wire fraud June 1, 2026; sentenced Oct. 19, 2026, to 9 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release; restitution to be determined	[1]

Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut, "Former Shelton Resident Sentenced for Computer Intrusion Scheme," Oct. 19, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/former-shelton-resident-sentenced-computer-intrusion-scheme

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