Bradenton man sentenced in Home Depot and pawn shop fraud case, records show
A Bradenton man is headed to prison after prosecutors say he used a former employer’s credit card to buy and pawn more than $20,000 in merchandise.
A Manatee County judge sentenced John Robert Winfield Boselli, 43, to six years in prison followed by nine years of probation after pleading no contest to 15 felony counts in the case, according to court records.
Boselli pleaded no contest to charges including scheme to defraud, dealing in stolen property and providing false information to a pawnbroker, court records show.
An attorney representing Boselli did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Bradenton man spent thousands with employer credit card, investigators say
Investigators say the case began in January 2022, when the owner of a local business reported Boselli was using a company Home Depot credit card without permission after being fired in December.
The investigation found Boselli used the card to make more than $20,000 in purchases at stores across Manatee and Sarasota counties, including generators, a welder and power tools, the arrest report states.
Detectives say Boselli changed the contact information on the account to his own email and his girlfriend’s phone number and placed at least 23 orders, 15 of which he picked up in person.
According to the arrest report, the 15 Home Depot orders ranged from about $40 to nearly $8,900.
Surveillance footage obtained by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office shows Boselli and a woman picking up merchandise and loading items into his silver GMC Yukon, according to the arrest report.
Pawn shop evidence helps convict Bradenton man
Investigators later linked the purchases to pawn transactions in Manatee County. A search of pawn shop records revealed nine tickets at Buccaneer Pawn, 3119 First St., Bradenton, tied to Boselli for items matching the purchases, the arrest report states.
On multiple occasions, Boselli signed pawn documents stating the items were his property and received cash payments ranging from about $225 to $325, according to the report.
Fingerprint analysis later confirmed Boselli’s thumbprint on several of the pawn tickets, investigators say.
Deputies arrested Boselli in 2022 and initially charged him with 10 felony counts before prosecutors later added charges.
He remained in custody after his bond was revoked in January 2024 and Circuit Judge Matt Whyte denied a motion to reinstate it, according to court records.
Suspect arrested for theft while out on bond
While out on bond in the fraud case, investigators say Boselli committed another theft in December 2023.
Detectives say Boselli stole jewelry and coins valued at about $5,000 from a safe inside a Bradenton home and later admitted to selling some of the items for $3,000 in cash.
Boselli pleaded no contest to a third-degree grand theft charge in that case and received credit for time served followed by five years of probation, which will run at the same time as his probation in the fraud case, court records show.
In the fraud case, Boselli also received 725 days of credit for time served and must follow strict conditions upon release, including a ban on handling third-party finances, using others’ credit cards or conducting pawn transactions, court records show.
He must also undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations and have no contact with the victim, the victim’s business, Home Depot or any pawn shops, according to court records.
Court records show Boselli filed a notice of appeal January, and the fraud case remains open as the appeal moves forward.
