Anthony Prizio, of Blackstone, was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday, June 24, after he pleaded guilty in February to six counts of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He must also pay $431,399 in restitution to his former unnamed employer.
Prizio was a manager at a Worcester second-hand retail store, and investigators said he falsified the working hours of his employees and kept the money for himself from January 2019 until July 2021. He covered his tracks by lying on records and claiming his store had processed more items than they had to prop up the productivity of the location, authorities said.
The company paid its employees using pre-paid debit cards. Prizio had cards issued in his employees' names but kept them for himself to use for personal expenses, the prosecutor continued.
He didn't pay income taxes on any of the money he stole. He must also pay $86,190 to the IRS in unpaid taxes.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Holyoke and receive free news updates.