Hamburg Man Sentenced for Impersonating a Federal Officer

   BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Jack DeMeo, 52, of Hamburg, N.Y., who was convicted of impersonation of a federal officer, was sentenced to one year probation by Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. 
 
Assistant U.S. MaryEllen Kresse, who handled the case, stated that in March 2009, the defendant, owner of Southtown Sports, Inc., pretended to be a Revenue Officer with the Internal Revenue Service. In doing so, DeMeo sent false levy releases to several companies with which Southtown Sports did business.
 
In March 2009, the IRS began a collection action against the defendant and his company. During the course of the case, the assigned Revenue Officer issued levies to companies that owed money to Southtown Sports and instructed them to send all payments directly to the IRS. The Revenue Officer later issued levy releases as to several of the companies.
 
Thereafter, DeMeo took one of the legitimate levy releases and accompanying letter from the Revenue Officer and altered the documents by removing any reference to the company the paperwork was originally sent. The defendant then faxed the fraudulent levy release and letter to several companies that previously received levies. The defendant told the companies to forward all monies owed to Southtown Sports directly rather than the IRS.
 
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.