Man Sentenced For Stealing $1.88M From Berlin Business: Feds

BRIDGEPORT/BERLIN, CT — A Maine man was sentenced to jail in federal court in Bridgeport Monday for his role in a $1.88 million-embezzlement scheme impacting a business in Berlin.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, announced that Edward F. Ziegler II, 64, of Bridgton, Maine, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to three years in jail, followed by two years of supervised release, for fraud and tax offenses stemming from a 15-year embezzlement scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ziegler, who formerly resided in New Britain, was employed as the office manager for a small, family-owned business, identified in court documents in “Company A,” based in Berlin.

In approximately 2006, Ziegler opened a bank account in his name and with the qualifying language “Doing Business As [Company A].”

Over the course of approximately 15 years, Ziegler diverted more than 400 checks from Company A’s customers and deposited them into the secret bank account he had established, Avery said.

Ziegler also made fraudulent entries in Company A’s books and record keeping system to cover up the fact he had diverted the checks and used the funds for his own benefit, authorities said.

Through this scheme, Ziegler embezzled $1,880,281 from Company A, according to Avery.

In addition, Avery said Ziegler failed to pay $173,003 in federal income taxes on his embezzled income for the 2015 through 2019 tax years.

Dooley ordered Ziegler to pay full restitution to Company A and the Internal Revenue Service.

Ziegler was arrested on March 16, 2022. On Nov. 10, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion.

Ziegler, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison June 20.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Bridgton (Maine) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.