Former Office Manager Charged With Defrauding Car Dealership, Filing False Tax Returns

PITTSBURGH - On Dec. 17, 2013, a former resident of Venetia, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The seven-count indictment, unsealed today, named Deborah Cassini, 61, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, Cassini was employed by Three Rivers Volkswagen as the Office Manager. As the Office Manager, Cassini had access to the company’s bank accounts, payroll system, accounting system and cash. Over the course of several years, Cassini embezzled funds in numerous ways, including making online payments to her personal credit cards from the company bank account; by making online payments for her BMW from the company bank account; by issuing herself additional compensation through the payroll system; by skimming cash; by writing checks to herself and to cash on company checks and by making cash withdrawals from the company bank account. Cassini concealed the theft by making false accounting entries into the company’s accounting system. The indictment further charges that she submitted false income tax returns for the years in which the embezzlement occurred.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 89 years in prison, a fine of $1,750,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.