Albany Man Admits to Fraud, Identity Theft in Pandemic Relief Case
An Albany man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and forging endorsements on U.S. Treasury checks in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits and cash stolen tax refund checks.
Collins Bozil, 26, admitted in federal court on Monday that he illegally obtained over $143,000 in unemployment benefits between April 2020 and April 2021. According to prosecutors, Bozil used cryptocurrency to purchase the personal identifying information of five individuals, which he then used to file for unemployment benefits through the New York State Department of Labor.
Bozil also acknowledged purchasing five stolen tax refund checks valued at more than $9,000, which he falsely endorsed and deposited into bank accounts under his control.
As part of his plea agreement, Bozil has agreed to repay $143,178 to the State of New York, $3,225 to the U.S. Department of Treasury, and $6,075 to the individuals whose identities were used in the scheme.
Bozil faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years and up to 20 years in prison, along with a potential fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. His sentence will be determined by a judge based on federal sentencing guidelines and other legal considerations.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Paulbeck and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the case.