Michael Bukuts, 46, of Akron, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Cosgrove to 12 years in prison.
Bukuts pled guilty to Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the first degree, two counts of Passing Bad Checks, Telecommunications Fraud, Grand Theft, Forgery, Tampering with Records, Identification Fraud, and Theft from Elderly, all felonies of the third degree, and Failing to Remit to the State Tax Collected, a felony of the fourth degree.
In May last year, a Hudson City resident found two unauthorized purchases on his credit card; one to an insurance agency and the other to a florist. Hudson police investigated and found that Bukuts made these purchases.
Bukuts had numerous reports of fraudulent use of credit card use associated with his mother’s Dry Cleaning company. 34 mostly elderly victims were found in Akron, Hudson, Bath, North Canton, and Fairlawn, each with losses of $300 or more. Bukuts had stolen their credit card information, obtained from the dry cleaning business and used that information to pay his own purchases.
Part of Bukuts’ job at the Dry Cleaning company was to remit state sales tax and pay for workers’ compensation. He had presented fraudulent checks to these agencies several times.
Bukuts and his mother were preparing to leave for Europe, in March, so the State executed search warrants for DC LeClair’s businesses in Akron and Brecksville and Michael Bukuts’ residence. Bukuts was arrested and taken into custody.
Bukuts previously spent three years in Federal Prison for embezzlement. In the previous case, it was alleged he embezzled up to $4.3 Million from his employers, setting up Swiss Bank Accounts to funnel the proceeds.
See Also this story: Prison time in fraud case
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