Malden Man Pleads Guilty To COVID Relief Fraud, Identity Theft

MALDEN, MA — A Malden man pleaded guilty to federal charges Thursday in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides benefits to people who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Wagner Sozi, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of making a false claim.

Federal authorities said Sozi obtained stolen identity information from various sources, including a Cambridge realty company that collected the personal identifying information of potential renters, and used them to open accounts, make purchases, rent cars and apply for PUA benefits.

Sozi lived with a person who worked for the realty company, and numerous company files were found in the apartment, the USAO said. Many identity theft victims had been clients of the company, including at least one person in whose name a fraudulent PUA claim was filed, authorities said.

Sozi and a female accomplice opened credit accounts at an office supply retailer under various fake identities and used the accounts to purchase Visa gift cards, the USAO said.

Sozi also used a stolen identity to buy a Rolex for more than $15,000, federal authorities said. He obtained a Maine driver's license with his photograph and the name of an identity theft victim, which was used to open a bank account and make large purchases at an Apple Store, the USAO said.

Sozi was arrested on June 25, 2020. Investigators seized several documents from his apartment, including a PUA debit card in another person's name, the USAO said. The PUA claim listed Sozi's address as the mailing address, and another fraudulent PUA claim had been submitted under Sozi's own name but with another Social Security number, authorities said.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 22.