Fraud in Cedar City: Property Manager Gets Prison Time for $2.1M Scam

A Cedar City property manager will serve federal prison time after admitting to a multi-year fraud scheme targeting homeowners associations, tenants, and banks.

Blake Floyd Cozzens, 36, received 25 months in federal custody after pleading guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud in U.S. District Court in Utah. He must also serve four years of supervised release and pay $2,168,640.25 in restitution, along with a $200 federal assessment to the Crime Victims Fund. The court did not impose additional fines.

The judge recommended Cozzens transfer immediately to a federal medical facility to address ongoing health concerns. The preferred location is the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina.

How the Fraud Happened

From January 2020 to January 2025, Cozzens managed multiple homeowners associations and properties in Iron County. During that time, he diverted funds from HOA accounts, tenants’ prepaid rent, security deposits, and property owners’ money into accounts he controlled.

Cozzens also tricked JPMorgan Chase Bank. He used seven cashier’s checks totaling more than $1.4 million to obtain gambling markers in Las Vegas. He then reported the checks as lost to stop payment, causing nearly $1.4 million in losses for the bank.

A property-management software company in California lost $210,000 due to Cozzens’ fraudulent deposits.

Community and Official Response

U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak said, “For over five years, Cozzens abused his position as a property manager to steal and cheat people and businesses to fund his gambling lifestyle. Homeowners struggling with affordability should not have to worry about their hard-earned money being stolen.”

Glen Henderson, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Phoenix Division, added, “When individuals in trusted roles commit financial crimes, they harm the very communities they are meant to serve.”

Additional Case Information

Cozzens pleaded guilty in March. This resolved earlier state charges after federal prosecutors took over the case. He was released pending sentencing to receive medical care, including treatment for a cancer diagnosis.

While on federal release, Cozzens faced separate state charges in October for a July domestic incident along Interstate 15 in Washington County. He has remained in custody since then.

The federal investigation involved the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Cedar City Police Department, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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