Malden Man Accused Of Pandemic Assistance Fraud

MALDEN, MA — A Malden man was indicted on federal charges of identity fraud and submitting fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Wagner Sozi, 32, faces two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of making a false claim to the United States.

Sozi was originally charged by criminal complaint and arrested June 25. He is accused of using stolen identity information to open accounts, make purchases, rent cars and apply for PUA benefits, the USAO said.

Federal authorities said Sozi obtained stolen identity information from various sources, including a Cambridge realty company that collected the information of potential renters. Sozi lived with an employee of the company, and agents found various company files in his apartment, the USAO said. Several identity theft victims tied to Sozi had been clients of the realty company, including at least one person in whose name a fraudulent PUA claim was filed, charging documents allege.

Sozi, along with a female accomplice, opened credit accounts at an office supplier under multiple fake identities and used them to purchase Visa gift cards, resulting in more than $100,000 in losses to the retailer, federal authorities said.

Sozi used another stolen identity to purchase a Rolex for more than $15,000, the USAO said. He also obtained a Maine driver’s license, bearing 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, federal authorities said.

The charges of wire fraud carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The false claim charge carries a sentence of up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.