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Press Release

Schenectady Woman Indicted On Fraud And Tax Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York

Scam Caused the Internal Revenue Service to Send $87,153 to the Woman

Albany, New York — On May 24, 2013, a grand jury returned an indictment charging PATRICIA ALFIERI, age 52, of Schenectady, New York, with (1) five counts of mail fraud; (2) one count of obstructing the Internal Revenue laws; and (3) three counts of filing a false income tax return announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Toni Weirauch. Trial is set for July 29, 2013 before the Honorable Gary L. Sharpe in Albany, New York.

Counts 1 through 5 charge the defendant with mail fraud. Count 6 charges the defendant with obstructing the Internal Revenue laws. The indictment alleges that the defendant mailed checks to the Internal Revenue Service totaling $3,672,327, drawn on (a) accounts which did not exist; (b) accounts which were closed; and (c) accounts with insufficient funds, causing the Internal Revenue Service to send her six “overpayment” refunds totaling $87,153.99. The maximum potential penalty for each of Counts 1 through 5 is imprisonment for 20 years, supervised release for 3 years, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss. The maximum potential penalty for Counts 6 is imprisonment for 3 years, supervised release for 1 year, and a fine of $3,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

Counts 7 through 9 charge the defendant with filing false personal income tax returns for 2008 through 2010. The indictment alleges that the defendant submitted false returns claiming that she had paid real estate taxes and home mortgage interest when she had not and also that her employer had withheld more income tax than it had. The maximum potential penalty for each of Counts 6 through 9 is imprisonment for 3 years, supervised release for 1 year, and a fine of $100,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.

The Indictment includes allegations for forfeiture of $87,153.99 in proceeds of the mail fraud offenses charged.

ALFIERI was arraigned on May 28, 2013 before the Honorable Christian F. Hummel, United States Magistrate Judge, at the Federal Courthouse in Albany.

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

LOCAL CONTACT:
Elizabeth C. Coombe
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Tel: (518) 431-0247

Updated January 29, 2015