A longtime employee of a Berlin-based company has been indicted for an embezzlement scheme that allegedly saw more than $1 million deposited into a bank account referencing the company’s name.

Edward F. Ziegler II, 63, of Bridgton, Maine, was indicted by a federal grand jury in New Haven on 27 counts of fraud and tax offenses related to the scheme, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. Ziegler was arrested last week in Maine following the indictment and pleaded not guilty in Hartford federal court yesterday. He was released on a $100,000 bond.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ziegler worked for approximately 25 years as the office manager for a Berlin-based small business, which was identified in the indictment as “Company A.” As part of a fraud scheme, Zeigler allegedly opened a bank account in his name that included the phrase: “Doing Business As [Company A].”

For several years, Ziegler would send invoices to the company’s customers through both the U.S. Postal Service and email, according to the statement, and receive checks from the customers for services provided. Ziegler allegedly deposited the checks into the bank account he had established. He also allegedly made fraudulent entries in Company A’s books and recordkeeping system to cover up the fact that he had diverted the checks and used the funds for his own benefit, the statement said.

Prosecutors allege that more than 400 checks totaling over $1 million were deposited into the bank account. Ziegler also did not pay $173,643 in federal income taxes on his embezzled income for the 2015 through 2019 tax years, according to the statement.

The indictment charged Ziegler with 22 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and five counts of tax evasion.