Buffalo Woman Pleads Guilty To Submitting Fraudulent Loan Documents

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051 

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Tamara Ward, 39, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of an unlawful authentication feature of the United States, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. The charges carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $200,000 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.

In a related civil forfeiture proceeding, the defendant agreed to forfeit any interest she had in the proceeds of the sale of one of the automobiles Ward fraudulently purchased.  The defendant also agreed to make restitution in the amount of $1,460.15 for the second automobile. 

The plea 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.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2016 before Judge McCarthy.