A Cedar City property manager is headed to federal prison after admitting to wire and bank fraud that siphoned over $2.1 million from homeowners, tenants, businesses, and a bank to fund a years-long gambling habit. Blake Floyd Cozzens, 36, was sentenced Monday.
Sentence and restitution
Cozzens was sentenced Monday in St. George federal court to 25 months in prison, ordered to pay $2,168,640 in restitution, and will serve four years of supervised release, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby said, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
How the scheme worked
Between January 2020 and January 2025, Cozzens embezzled $586,300, submitted fraudulent deposits that cost a California property‑management company $210,000, and cashed seven checks totaling $1,414,000 at Las Vegas casinos. Federal prosecutors said the checks caused a bank to lose about $1.4 million.
“For over five years, Cozzens abused his position as a property manager to steal and cheat people and businesses to fund his gambling lifestyle,” according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Attorney Melissa Holyoak said.
Investigation and prosecution
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cedar City Police, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen P. Dent, as reported by Gephardt Daily.
“When individuals in trusted roles commit financial crimes, they harm the communities they are meant to serve,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Phoenix Division, according to Gephardt Daily.
Background
The investigation became public in January after clients and a bank reported suspicious transactions. Reports showed over $1.9 million in unauthorized transactions, prompting Cozzens’ arrest and a civil lawsuit. Investigators found multiple accounts solely in Cozzens’ name, several of which were emptied by late 2024, as reported by KSL.
What victims can expect
Cozzens has been ordered to repay $2,168,640. Affected victims can access resources through the U.S. Attorney’s Office and may pursue civil remedies as authorities review records. HOAs and rental-property owners are reviewing internal controls and demanding clearer accounting from property managers.
