An Ontario County woman convicted of stealing business funds for personal use has been sentenced to state prison.
Monique Barrette-Lewis was sentenced Thursday in Ontario County Court to 7½ to 15 years in the New York State Department of Corrections. Judge Frederick G. Reed imposed the sentence following Barrette-Lewis’ conviction by an Ontario County jury in March.
Jurors found the 44-year-old Barrette-Lewis, of Canandaigua, guilty of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree.
According to Ontario County District Attorney Jason MacBride, the charges stemmed from conduct that occurred between October 2023 and April 2024 in the Town of Victor. The jury determined that Barrette-Lewis engaged in a scheme to unlawfully take business funds and use them for personal expenses.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant…
THE TUTUKA POWER STATION PROCUREMENT FRAUD (ESKOM)
Date: August 29, 2025 Perpetrator: Jessie Phindile Kubheka (Supplier Director)
Case Description: As part of the ongoing “cleaning up” of Eskom, Jessie Phindile Kubheka was sentenced to 12 years (with 5 years suspended) for defrauding the Tutuka Power Station. The case involved a sophisticated procurement syndicate that exploited Eskom’s emergency repair protocols. Kubheka’s company was contracted to deliver three high-specification containers for the power station. Only one container was ever delivered, and even that single unit failed to meet the required safety and technical specifications.
Despite the lack of delivery, Kubheka issued grossly inflated invoices, defrauding the utility of approximately R2.6 million. The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court ordered Kubheka to repay the full amount. This case is significant because it marks a shift in Eskom’s strategy toward “naming and shaming” suppliers and pursuing full asset recovery. It serves as a stark warning to contractors that the 2026 climate of “Zero Tolerance” for state-owned enterprise (SOE) fraud is backed by active judicial enforcement.
Link to Original: Eskom Official – Tutuka Fraud Sentencing