WORCESTER, MA – Anthony Prizio, 49, of Blackstone, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced today for a brazen scheme to steal over half a million dollars from his former employer, a national second-hand retail chain. The operation involved identity theft, falsified time records, and a deliberate effort to pocket wages meant for other workers.
U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman handed down a three-year prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. Prizio was also ordered to pay a hefty $431,399 in restitution to the defrauded company and a further $86,190 to the Internal Revenue Service. The sentence follows Prizio’s guilty plea in February 2024 to six counts of wire fraud, one count of tax evasion, and one count of unauthorized use of another’s identity.
Between January 2019 and July 2021, while managing the company’s Worcester store, Prizio exploited his position to systematically siphon funds. He manipulated the store’s timekeeping system, inputting false hours for both current and former employees. The fraud wasn’t limited to inflated hours; Prizio also secured payroll debit cards in the names of others, diverting the funds directly to his own use for personal expenses.
The scheme extended beyond simple theft. Prizio actively concealed his activities, manipulating store productivity reports to mask the extent of the fraud. He falsely entered paid sick and bereavement leave for employees, generating payments for fictitious hours without impacting reported productivity numbers. This level of deception underscores the calculated nature of his criminal enterprise.
“Prizio didn’t just steal money, he stole the wages of hardworking people and then tried to cover his tracks by lying to the IRS,” stated a source close to the investigation. “This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment; it was a sustained, deliberate effort to enrich himself at the expense of others.”
The investigation was a joint effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division, led by Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division, headed by Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis, Jr. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced the sentencing, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuting the case. This conviction sends a clear message: wage theft and tax evasion will be aggressively pursued and punished.
Related Federal Cases
- Blackstone Manager Prizio Gets 3 Years for Wage Theft & Fraud · Massachusetts
- Villalona Diaz Nabbed in Identity Theft Scheme · Massachusetts
- Rhode Island Man Gets 3 Years for Pandemic Theft · Massachusetts
- Craig Nabbed for $250K+ Employer Heist · Massachusetts
- Baez Gets 25 Months for ID Theft & Social Security Fraud · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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