Oregon Jury Finds for Haiti’s Digicel in ‘Bypass’ Fraud Case

A jury in U.S. District Court for Oregon in Portland on Monday awarded $3.6 million in damages to Digicel after finding Hillsboro, Oregon-based UPM Technology liable for running a “bypass” scheme that defrauded the Haitian mobile communications network. The jury found that UPM, working with co-conspirators throughout the Caribbean, used SIM cards and internet connections to navigate inbound international calls to Haiti by avoiding the established legitimate routing mechanisms, thereby escaping payment of termination fees to legitimate cellular carriers and regulatory agencies. The eight-member jury deliberated for one day before returning the verdict in Digicel's favor.