BOSTON, MA – A seemingly ordinary retail job at Staples masked a brazen fraud operation, culminating in the guilty plea of Ricardo Voltaire, 35, of Boston, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Voltaire, a sales manager at Staples locations in Dedham and Braintree, knowingly aided criminals in exploiting stolen identities for a hefty profit, according to federal prosecutors.
The scheme involved Voltaire processing at least 60 fraudulent store credit applications submitted by Wagner Sozi and an unnamed co-conspirator. These applications weren’t filled out by the actual individuals listed; instead, they contained stolen personal information. Voltaire, aware of the deception, opened the accounts, allowing Sozi and his accomplice to rack up over $81,000 in purchases using Visa gift cards. The kickback for Voltaire’s complicity? Approximately $8,000, a dirty reward for betraying the trust placed in him as a store manager.
Federal investigators detailed how the stolen identities were systematically used to build a network of fraudulent credit lines. The ease with which Voltaire processed these applications points to a deliberate circumvention of Staples’ internal security measures, raising questions about the effectiveness of those safeguards. The U.S. Secret Service, leading the investigation alongside the Braintree Police Department, uncovered the full scope of the operation, bringing Voltaire and Sozi to justice.
This isn’t a standalone case. Wagner Sozi already pleaded guilty in May 2021 to a litany of charges including two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making a false claim. He’s currently awaiting sentencing, scheduled for October 28, 2021. The connection between Voltaire and Sozi appears to be the core of this elaborate scheme, exploiting vulnerabilities in the retail credit application process.
Voltaire now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2022, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock. The final sentence will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, a grim reminder that even seemingly small roles in large-scale fraud can carry significant consequences.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office, jointly announced Voltaire’s guilty plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely II, Chief of Mendell’s Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case, determined to see justice served in this instance of brazen financial crime. The Braintree Police Department’s contribution to the investigation was also lauded by officials.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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