Maine Resident Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Fraud and Tax Offenses Stemming from $1.8 Million Embezzlement Scheme

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD F. ZIEGLER II, 64, of Bridgton, Maine, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for fraud and tax offenses stemming from a 15-year embezzlement scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ziegler, who formerly resided in New Britain, was employed as the office manager for a small, family-owned business, identified in court documents in “Company A,” based in Berlin, Connecticut.  In approximately 2006, Ziegler opened a bank account in his name and with the qualifying language “Doing Business As [Company A].”  Over the course of approximately 15 years, Ziegler diverted more than 400 checks from Company A’s customers and deposited them into the secret bank account he had established.  Ziegler also made fraudulent entries in Company A’s books and record keeping system to cover up the fact that he had diverted the checks and used the funds for his own benefit.  Through this scheme, Ziegler embezzled $1,880,280.54 from Company A.

In addition, Ziegler failed to pay $173,003 in federal income taxes on his embezzled income for the 2015 through 2019 tax years.

Judge Dooley ordered Ziegler to pay full restitution to Company A and the IRS

Ziegler was arrested on March 16, 2022.  On November 10, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion.

Ziegler, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 20.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Bridgton (Maine) Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.