NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Bridgton man has pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and tax offenses charges in connection with an alleged $1 million embezzlement scheme.
Edward F. Ziegler II, 63, was indicted by a grand jury in New Haven, Connecticut, on 27 counts, including wire fraud and tax evasion, according to a joint release Tuesday from the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, FBI, and IRS.
On March 16, he was arrested in Maine, where he has a second home, according to court documents.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish released Ziegler on a $100,000 bond on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said while Ziegler worked for 25 years as the office manager for a small business based in Berlin, Connecticut, he deposited checks into a secret bank account and made fraudulent entries in the company's books to cover up that he diverted more than 400 checks totaling more than $1 million.
He is also charged with failing to pay nearly $175,000 in federal income taxes between 2015 and 2019, according to the release.
Ziegler faces charges including 22 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and five counts of tax evasion, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The investigation continues and is being conducted by the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of the Bridgton Police Department.
