NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Bridgton man has pleaded not guilty to charges of federal fraud and tax offenses in connection with an alleged $1 million embezzlement scheme.

Edward F. Ziegler II, 63, was indicted by a grand jury in New Haven, Connecticut, on 27 counts, including wire fraud and tax evasion, according to a joint statement released Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, the FBI and the IRS.

On March 16, he was arrested in Maine, where he has a second home, according to court documents.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish released Ziegler on $100,000 bail on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Ziegler worked for 25 years as an office manager for a small business based in Berlin, Connecticut, he deposited checks in a secret bank account and made fraudulent entries in the company’s books to conceal that he had misappropriated more than 400 checks totaling more than $1 million.

He is also accused of failing to pay nearly $175,000 in federal income tax between 2015 and 2019, the statement said.

Ziegler faces charges including 22 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, each count carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and five counts of tax evasion, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years. from prison.

The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigations Division with assistance from the Bridgton Police Department.