A Maine man is facing accusations that he embezzled over $1 million from a Connecticut company while working as the business’s office manager.
A federal grand jury in New Haven last week returned a 27-count indictment charging Edward F. Ziegler II, of Bridgton, Maine, with fraud and tax offenses related to an alleged embezzlement scheme targeting the Berlin-based firm, according to information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut and the New Haven Division of the FBI.
Ziegler, 63, was arrested in Maine on March 16 and appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Hartford on Tuesday. He entered a plea of not guilty and was released after posting a $100,000 bond.
The company Ziegler allegedly defrauded was not identified by name, and was described only as a “small business” where Ziegler had been employed for around 25 years.
According to prosecutors, Ziegler is believed to have opened a bank account in his own name, but “doing business as” his employer. He then sent invoices to the business’s customers through the mail and email, received checks from customers for the services the company had provided and kept the money, the indictment states.
Ziegler is also accused of making fraudulent entries in the company’s books and record-keeping system to cover up the fact that he had diverted the payments.
Investigators claim Ziegler collected more than $1 million in his secret bank account, and failed to pay around $173,600 in federal income taxes on that income from 2015 through 2019.
Ziegler was charged with 22 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment for 30 years on each count, and five counts of tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment for five years on each count.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
