Niagara Falls Woman Pleads Guilty To Fraud Charge

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that LaTanya McCain, 21, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Government, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, who is handling the case, stated that McCain filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the years 2014 and 2015 using false and fraudulent W-2 forms. The forms stated that the defendant worked for employers for whom she never worked and falsely indicated that McCain had earnings and withholdings. Furthermore, in 2015, the defendant provided others with false W-2 forms which they, in turn, used to file false tax returns with the IRS. As a result, the IRS was defrauded out of $32,187.00

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas E. Bishop, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 11, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.