Fresh Jets founder Timothy Richard Wozniak pleaded guilty Thursday to identity theft and fraud after getting caught racking up hefty charges on a customer’s credit card.
The Denver entrepreneur behind the affordable private jet service was sentenced to two years of probation on both counts to be served concurrently and ordered to pay $231,264.35 in restitution, according to Vikki Migoya, spokeswoman for the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District.
Other charges, which included theft and forgery, were dropped and case 2016CR1939 was dismissed. Wozniak, 31, has paid the restitution, Migoya added.
Wozniak, who goes by the name Timmy, started Fresh Jets a couple of years after graduating from the University of Denver. The service offered discounted seats on private chartered flights. He also started Fresh Trips in 2015 offering all-inclusive vacations to Cancun.
But then one client, Navajo Express founder and CEO Don Digby Sr., began noticing large unexplained charges on his platinum American Express bill, according to an earlier Denver Post story. Digby told Cherry Hills Village police, which turned the case over to Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler.
According to the criminal case from February 2016, Wozniak charged around $70,500 on Digby’s credit cards to reserve charter flights for other customers. In a series of text messages between the two, Wozniak blamed it on miscommunication and called the charges “a mistake,” though Digby responded with “This was no mistake, you used my credit to book flights. … Can’t believe you would treat me that way.”
A related case that included other victims was also dismissed Thursday as part of the plea deal.
Wozniak’s lawyer, Harvey A. Steinberg, did not return a call requesting comment.
Separately, Wozniak faced 11 charges in Denver District Court and pleaded guilty in May to one class 3 felony count of unauthorized use of a financial transaction, according to Jon Sarché, a spokesman for the Colorado Judicial Department.
Wozniak was sentenced in July to 60 days in jail followed by two years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $37,254 in restitution and serve 250 hours of community service. He also pleaded not guilty to the other 10 counts, which included identity theft, forgery, theft and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device. The case was dismissed by prosecutors.
