Collins Bozil, a 26-year-old resident of Albany, has entered a guilty plea to charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and forging endorsements on Treasury checks. The charges relate to fraudulent activities involving pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits and the acquisition of stolen tax refund checks issued by the United States Treasury.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, alongside Jonathan Mellone from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), Jeffrey Burr from the United States Secret Service (USSS), and Michael Carpenter from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Bozil admitted that between April 2020 and April 2021, he unlawfully obtained over $143,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. He confessed to using cryptocurrency to buy personal identifying information (PII) belonging to five individuals. This stolen PII was then used to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the New York State Department of Labor.
Additionally, Bozil acknowledged purchasing five stolen tax refund checks exceeding $9,000 in value. These checks were falsely endorsed before being deposited into accounts under his control.
As part of his plea agreement, Bozil has agreed to make restitution payments amounting to $143,178 to the State of New York, $3,225 to the U.S. Department of Treasury, and $6,075 to the identity theft victims.
Bozil is facing a potential prison sentence ranging from a minimum of two years up to twenty years. He could also be fined up to $250,000 and may be subject to a supervised release term lasting up to three years. Sentencing will be determined by a judge based on relevant statutes and guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by USDOL-OIG, USSS, and TIGTA. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Paulbeck and Joseph S. Hartunian.