BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Evan Bobzin, 39, of Chester, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison Wednesday for stealing nearly $2 million from his employer, Hoffman’s Gun Center in Newington, over the course of seven years. He was also ordered to pay full restitution and cooperate with the IRS for unpaid taxes related to his theft.
According to court documents, Bobzin began embezzling in 2016 while serving as Hoffman’s head of information technology. He routinely accessed a safe in the store’s front office after disabling security cameras, stole cash from daily receipts, and later deposited the stolen funds into personal bank accounts. Between 2016 and 2023, he made 287 deposits totaling $1,901,250 and purchased cashier’s checks worth $161,330 using the stolen cash.
Prosecutors also revealed that Bobzin structured his cash deposits to avoid bank reporting requirements. After being warned in 2022 about his suspicious activity, he shifted his banking to new institutions and resumed making deposits below the $10,000 reporting threshold.
In addition to theft, Bobzin failed to report the embezzled funds as income on his tax returns between 2016 and 2022, resulting in a $436,178 tax loss to the federal government. In 2020, for example, he falsely reported an income of $9,914, while omitting more than $432,000 in stolen income.
Bobzin pleaded guilty in August to interstate transmission of stolen money and tax evasion. He was ordered to pay $2,062,580 in restitution to Hoffman’s Gun Center and $436,178 in back taxes, penalties, and interest to the IRS.
Bobzin, currently free on a $50,000 bond, must report to prison on January 6 to begin his sentence.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Bobzin’s sentencing marks the conclusion of a yearslong investigation into one of the largest employee theft cases in Connecticut in recent memory.