Scientists face 20 years in prison

TAMPA — Two local scientists each face up to 20 years in federal prison after a jury convicted both of wire fraud, identity theft, and falsifying records involving a federal investigation.

Mahmoud Aldissi and Anastassia Bogomolova — also known as Matt Aldissi and Anastasia Bogomolova — will learn their fates during a sentencing hearing May 28. The hearing follows a month-long trial that involved their two Belleair Beach-based companies, Fractal Systems Inc. and Smart Polymers Research Corp.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office say the pair fraudulently obtained $10.5 million worth of small business research awards from the federal government, submitting proposals using the stolen identities of real people in order to create false endorsements of and for their proposed contracts.