Naugatuck Man Admits Operating Phony Coupon Scheme

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, today announced that THOMAS PAPCIN, 48, of Naugatuck, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to one count of mail fraud stemming from a fraudulent coupon scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in order for a coupon producer to obtain holographic coupon paper, the producer is required to provide to the coupon paper vendor the name of the company for whom the producer is producing coupons, as well as a point of contact for the company for whom the producer is producing coupons.  On at least two occasions, Papcin purchased holographic coupon paper from a holographic coupon paper vendor by misrepresenting to the vendor the companies that Papcin was producing coupons for, and by providing fictitious contact information for the companies.  Papcin then used the holographic paper to create fictitious coupons, advertised the coupons online and through e-mail, sold the coupons to customers who believed the coupons were authentic, and shipped the coupons to customers through the mail

Through this scheme, Papcin defrauded his customers of $193,027.25.

Mail fraud carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Papcin is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on June 20, 2019.

Papcin is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.