Buffalo Woman Sentenced For Tax Fraud Scheme

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Kalah Bishop, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of access device fraud, was sentenced to 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $416,192 to the Internal Revenue Service and $18,872 to New York State.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who handled the case, stated that beginning in 2012, the defendant and her associates filed fraudulent federal and New York State income tax returns for more than 49 individuals. The tax refunds were deposited onto debit cards, which were then used by Bishop and her associates to make purchases and withdraw cash.

The tax refunds received by the defendant and her associates totaled $435,064.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen, and investigators from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Michael Szrama.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.