BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A Chester man pleaded guilty in Bridgeport on Thursday to offenses connected to a $2 million embezzlement scheme he operated, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Evan Bobzin, 39, was an employee of Hoffman’s Gun Center in Newington from July 2013 through December 2023, court documents and statements note. He became the store’s head of information technology in 2016.
Prosecutors said that in January 2016, Bobzin began stealing cash receipts from a safe in Hoffman’s front office. He would arrive at work prior to other employees, disconnect ethernet cables from the company’s computer servers wired to cameras that viewed the safe, enter the front office, open the safe and steal thousands of dollars in cash from receipt pouches.
Bobzin would then return the pouches to the safe, reconnect the ethernet cables and deposit the cash proceeds into his personal bank account.
Prosecutors believe that between 2016 and 2023, Bobzin and his former spouse made 287 cash deposits of stolen money from Hoffman’s totaling $1,901,250 into his bank accounts. Seven purchases of cashier’s checks totaling $161,330 were also reportedly made.
Bobzin used the money to pay for personal expenses, such as a monthly American Express bill and mortgage payments.
He was notified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in October 2022 that he was conducting cash transactions in amounts below $10,000 in a manner that indicated structuring to avoid having his bank file Currency Transaction Reports. At this time, Bobzin ceased making cash deposits at his bank, opened new accounts at a different bank and resumed making structured cash deposits into those accounts, prosecutors say.
Prosecutors also note that Bobzin didn’t report the stolen income on his federal personal income tax returns for the 2016 through 2022 tax years, which caused the IRS to lose $436,178. For example, Bobzin reported taxable income of $9,914 and tax owed of $0 on his income tax return for the 2020 tax year. The return did not include the income of approximately $432,615 and understated tax due and owing by about $110,530, prosecutors say.
Bobzin pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of stolen money, which could land him in prison for up to 10 years. He also pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, which carries a prison term of up to five years.
Bobzin will be sentenced on Nov. 26 and has agreed to pay restitution of $2,062,580. He will also cooperate with the IRS to pay $436,178 in taxes, as well as penalties and interest, prosecutors say.
Currently, Bobzin is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. The investigation has been led by the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division.
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
