William Vogt Posed As Wealthy Fashion Designer “Bill Bolland” To Steal Over $350,000 From His Victim; Sentenced To 5 To 10 Years In State Prison

Schneiderman: My Office Does Not Tolerate Those Who Swindle Unsuspecting New Yorkers For Personal Gain

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman recently announced the sentencing of William Vogt, a resident of Orange County, on felony charges for posing as internationally renowned fashion designer “Bill Bolland” to lure his victim into making more than $350,000 in investments. Instead, Vogt stole the monies and used them for personal expenses. Vogt pleaded guilty in New York County Supreme Court in December 2016 to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class “C” felony. Vogt was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in state prison.

An investigation by the Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau revealed that over a three-year period, William Vogt, 57, of New Hampton, NY, held himself out as millionaire designer Bill Bolland, with a company called “Bill Bolland Haute Couture.” Vogt then used this identify to fraudulent solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars from his victim, through false promises that he could use his connections to secure high-return investments in various businesses.

“My office does not tolerate those who swindle unsuspecting New Yorkers into financial schemes for personal gain,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “We will continue to protect consumers from scam artists and prosecute to the full extent of the law.”

According to the indictment and statements made by prosecutors, Vogt used his fake persona to convince a victim in Manhattan to invest with him in various fictitious ventures from 2011 to 2014, including a purportedly tax-free account at Credit Suisse, stock in the VOSS Water Company and cooperative apartment units in Manhattan. Vogt took the victim’s money by promising to secure office space at the Heron Tower in Manhattan, to procure seats on the Board of Directors of Voss Foundation, to purchase healthcare insurance and an IRA, to facilitate an application for Swiss citizenship, and make a contribution to Hillary Clinton. In order to make the investments appear legitimate and to conceal his theft, Vogt sent numerous forged emails to the victim purporting to be from entities such as Credit Suisse, VOSS, Voss Foundation, Morgan Stanley, and a law firm. Contrary to Vogt’s verbal and written representations, he made no investments and transacted no business on behalf of the victim. Instead, Vogt used the money for a variety of personal and living expenses, such as paying rent, shopping at Home Depot, Target, and Shoprite, and making purchases via Paypal.

In January 2015, Vogt was indicted in New York County and charged with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a class "C" felony), four counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class "D" felony), nine counts of Forgery in the Second Degree (a class "D" felony), and three counts of violations of the Martin Act (a class "E" felony).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Bitetto of the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau, with the assistance of legal analysts Brandon Shapiro and Sloane Forbush. The Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau is led by Acting Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton.

The Attorney General's investigation was conducted by Investigator Ryan Fannon under the direction of Supervising Investigator John Sullivan and Deputy Chief John McManus. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Dominick Zarrella.