SAN DIEGO—Rancho Santa Fe Businessman Christopher John Cozzie pleaded guilty to fraud charges in federal court today, admitting that he sold imaging and diagnostic systems for breast examinations that he either did not deliver or partially delivered.

According to court documents, Cozzie operated two companies, Advance Functional Imaging, and Green Screen Labs, which purported to sell equipment that included infrared cameras, laptops or touchscreen computers and imaging software plus training and interpretation services for less invasive breast examinations.

He admitted that between 2007 and 2009, he marketed the equipment to holistic healthcare providers via the Internet and at health and wellness conventions in Las Vegas and various locations in California. He charged up to $35,000 per system to customers from California to Australia.

Cozzie admitted in his plea agreement that by 2008, he had no capital to run his business and was unable to provide the entire package of equipment to customers—particularly the cameras needed to do the imaging. He was selling used cameras, as well as selling the same camera to more than one customer.

According to the plea agreement, in February of 2009, when Cozzie had already failed to deliver his systems to other customers, a doctor in Texas contracted with Cozzie for an imaging system, including a new camera, computer and training. According to his plea, on April 6, 2009, the doctor wired Cozzie $32,000 for the system, but never received the camera, despite repeated contacts with Cozzie.

According to the plea agreement, some customers received partial systems; some received nothing. Yet Cozzie continued to market and sell the systems. The approximate loss suffered by Cozzie’s customers exceeds $200,000.

According to the indictment, Cozzie even removed a camera from the offices of one of his clients and delivered it to another client in another part of California.

Sentencing was set for March 3, 2015, before U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes.

DEFENDANT

• Christopher John Cozzie
• Age 57
• Rancho Santa Fe, California

Case Number: 14cr0900WQH

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

• Wire Fraud, 18 U.S.C. 1343
• Maximum Sentence: 20 years, $250,000 fine, $100 penalty assessment, restitution

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

• Federal Bureau of Investigation