Buffalo Woman Charged With Fraud

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a four count indictment charging Tamara Ward, 39, of Buffalo, NY, with bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan application. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, Ward applied for two separate automobile loans and in each instance provided false information.  The defendant falsely represented on each of the applications that she was employed by the Internal Revenue Service, earning an annual salary of $50,000.  Ward has never been employed by the IRS.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Office of Investigations, under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge, Robert E. O’Malley.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.