Orange County Man Posing as Fashion Designer Convicted of Stealing Over $400,000

An Orange County resident, posing as an international fashion designer, has been convicted of stealing over $400,000 in Ulster County and across New York State.

According to Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, 57-year-old William Vogt, of New Hampton, posed as an internationally renowned fashion designer “Bill Bolland” to lure victims into making more than $400,000 in investments. Vogt said he was a millionaire designer with a company called “Bill Bolland Haute Courte.” Vogt told his victims that he could use his connections to secure high-return investments. Instead, he stole the money and used them for personal expenses.

On Tuesday, Vogt pleaded guilty in New York County Supreme Court to 2nd-degree grand larceny, a class C felony. In December, Vogt pleaded guilty to 3rd-degree felony grand larceny, in Ulster County Court.

According the indictments and statements made by Ulster County prosecutors, in June of 2012, Vogt convinced his victim, a resident of Wilkes Barre, PA, that he could get a good rate of return by investing in a supposedly tax-free account allegedly held by Vogt at a major financial institution. In order to make the investment appear legitimate, Vogt sent forged emails to the victim that claimed to come from the financial institution. Believing that Vogt had business expertise and financial savvy, the victim gave Vogt more than $36,000 to invest in the account. The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that no account ever existed.

Vogt used similar schemes to steal a significant amount of money from a victim in Manhattan.

Vogt faces up to 12 years in prison on both cases. According to the Attorney General, if he pays his Manhattan victim at $120,00 he'll get 5-10 years in prison when sentenced on August 4th. Vogt will be sentenced in Ulster County Court on July 19th. If he pays his Ulster County victim the full $36,720 he'll be sentenced to 2-4 years in prison.