A Cedar City property manager was recently arrested for allegedly embezzling over $1.9 million from homeowner accounts. The $1.9 million has been identified as unauthorized transactions from one HOA account, but $750,000 remain unaccounted for.
Blake Floyd Cozzens, a licensed realtor and owner of Blake Cozzens Holdings Inc., was arrested on Jan. 15 and charged with 10 second degree felonies — each of which were counts of unlawful fiduciary dealing. Cozzens and his company have become the subject of a civil lawsuit on top of the charges.
According to an initial police booking affidavit, Blake Cozzens Inc., along with Stress Free Property Management, had multiple clients when one lawyer “had suspicions that the property manager for the victim entity had unlawfully taken funds from an account.”
After proper investigation, it was found that Cozzens had completed 19 transactions of over $5,000 that were all unauthorized by the account owners.
The financial fraud and civil lawsuit has affected a variety of Cedar City residents, including those living in student housing managed by Cozzens.
This is not Cozzens first offense. The affidavit states he has “caused multiple members of the public to fear for their lives and those of their families if he is released, to the point they want to leave town.”
During his roll call hearing, the court denied his bail request after Cozzens told the judge “he needed to be released to organize his business affairs as a property management owner.”
The lawsuit’s priority is repaying HOA concerns and compensating those affected. Cozzens’ hearing is currently scheduled for March 11, and updates can be found on the Cedar City Police Department website.
Author: Briar Adams
Photographer: Anna Mower
Editor: Anna Mower
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