A Blackstone man has copped to cheating his former employer out of beaucoup bucks in a brazen fraud, authorities said. Anthony Prizio, 48, orchestrated an elaborate con as the manager of a national thrift chain's Worcester store, skimming wages and pocketing cash meant for the taxman.
He pled guilty in federal court to six counts of wire fraud, one count of tax evasion, and one count of identity theft. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Prizio manipulated his ex-boss's timekeeping system from January 2019 to July 2021, inflating hours for phantom employees. The deceit didn't stop there – Prizio financed his lifestyle with dough meant for the departed workers, splurging on bills, wheels, and vet visits for the family pet.
The scam was simple yet slick: Prizio would cook the books, claiming more store items processed than reality allowed, all while tossing in some fraudulent paid sick and bereavement hours to keep productivity stats artificially high. But, like all good things, the swindle came to a screeching halt.
"Prizio failed to pay taxes on any of the income derived from this fraudulent scheme," the U.S. Department of Justice noted in their press release. If that wasn't enough, he also used others' IDs to issue payroll debit cards he'd subsequently drain for his expenses. Now he's staring down the barrel of a hefty prison sentence, with wire fraud alone carrying the potential for a 20-year vacation behind bars.
Sentencing is set for May 23, and Prizio could be looking at more than just a slap on the wrist. The feds made it clear they aren't playing around, with wire fraud charges punishable by up to two decades in the slammer and a fine of $250,000 or double the stolen loot. Tax evasion could add another five years to his sentence, and the identity theft charge another 15. The message is clear: crime doesn't pay, and Uncle Sam always gets his cut.
