CEDAR CITY, Utah — A man from Cedar City will spend more than two years in prison and will have to pay more than $2 million to his victims in a case of embezzlement and fraud.
Blake Floyd Cozzens, 36, was the property manager for multiple homeowners' associations and property owners in Iron County. His charges say he embezzled $586,300 from the HOAs, individual owners and tenants between 2020 and 2025. He also submitted fraudulent deposits to an online property management app to the tune of $210,000.
Federal prosecutors say Cozzens also defrauded a Las Vegas bank. He allegedly used cashier's checks at Vegas casinos for gambling credits, totaling $1,414,000. He then reported to the bank that he lost the checks after using the money to gamble, and the bank then stopped the payments to the casinos. Prosecutors say the bank lost $1,395,673.
A judge on Monday sentenced Cozzens to 25 months in prison, four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,168,640 in restitution to the victims.
“Cozzens abused his position as a property manager to steal and cheat people and businesses to fund his gambling lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah.
“When individuals in trusted roles commit financial crimes, they harm the very communities they are meant to serve," added Glen Henderson, the Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Phoenix Division.
Cozzens is a former Iron County Republican Party chairman and the son of Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens.
He is also charged with kidnapping, assault and domestic violence in a separate case, stemming from an incident in July.
Crime
