Man Admits Embezzling $2 Million from Newington Business, Tax Evasion

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that EVAN BOBZIN, 39, of Chester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses stemming from a $2 million embezzlement scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2013 until December 2023, Bobzin was an employee of Hoffman's Gun Center ("Hoffman's") in Newington and, in 2016, he became the head of information technology at Hoffman's. In January 2016, Bobzin began to steal cash receipts from a safe in Hoffman's front office. Bobzin would arrive at work before other employees, disconnect ethernet cables from the company's computers servers to cameras that captured views of the safe, enter the front office, open the safe, steal thousands of dollars in cash from receipt pouches, return the pouches to the safe, and then reconnect the ethernet cables. He would then deposit some of all of the cash proceeds into his personal bank accounts.

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, and seven cash purchases of cashier's checks totaling $161,330. Bobzin used the funds to pay for personal expenses, including to pay monthly American Express bill and to make mortgage payments.

In October 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office notified Bobzin that he was conducting cash transactions in amounts below $10,000 in a manner indicative of structuring to avoid having his bank file Currency Transaction Reports. Bobzin ceased making cash deposits at his bank, opened new accounts at a different bank, and resumed making structured cash deposits into those accounts.

Bobzin failed to report the stolen income on his federal personal income tax returns for the 2016 through 2022 tax years, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $436,178. As an example, on his income tax return for the 2020 tax year, Bobzin reported taxable income of $9,914 and tax owed of $0. The return omitted income of approximately $432,615 and understated tax due and owing by approximately $110,530.

Bobzin pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of stolen money, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for November 26.

Bobzin has agreed to pay restitution of $2,062,580, and to cooperate with the IRS to pay $436,178 in taxes, as well as penalties and interest.

Bobzin is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.