June 25, 2015

Apopka Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Investment Fraud

OCALA, FL—Senior U.S. District Judge Wm Terrell Hodges has sentenced John C. Boschert (43, Apopka) to nine years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He pleaded guilty on October 29, 2014.

According to court documents, Boschert and his two conspirators, Jenifer E. Hoffman (38, Clermont) and Bryan T. Zuzga (37, Coldwater, Michigan), defrauded over 100 victims out of more than $11 million through investments offered in connection with a company called Assured Capital Consultants. As part of their solicitations, the conspirators represented to investors that money would be placed in a Performing Private Placement Investment, and that Boschert had connections to the trading program being used. Investors were told that their investments would be safe and that none of their money would leave the attorney escrow account that belonged to Zuzga, who was represented as being an attorney licensed in Florida. Investors were further advised that their funds would be used as collateral for a line of credit, which would then be used in trading.

None of those representations were true. Zuzga was not an attorney licensed in Florida or any other state, and the funds were not deposited into any escrow account controlled by him. Instead, the three operated a scheme in which money from later investors was paid to earlier investors. They also used some of the money from the scheme for themselves, including purchasing residences for Hoffman and Zuzga.

In a prior civil proceeding, the United States forfeited two residences belonging to Hoffman and Zuzga, which had been purchased with proceeds from the scheme. The United States obtained more than $850,000 from the sale of the properties. The proceeds from those sales were distributed to the victims of the scheme.

On June 18, 2015, Zuzga pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentencing date has not yet been set. Hoffman has been charged with one count of conspiracy, eleven counts of wire fraud, and one count of making a false tax return. Her trial is set for July 2015. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy and wire fraud, and three years in federal prison for the false tax return.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg, James Mandolfo, and Nicole M. Andrejko.