Former Uniontown Resident Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding his Employer, Tax Evasion, and Failing to File Tax Returns

PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of two years and three months (27 months) to be followed by two years of supervised release on his conviction for mail fraud, tax evasion, and willful failure to file income tax returns, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Eugene Traficante, age 44, now of Weirton, West Virginia.

Previously, in connection with Traficante’s guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2006, Traficante was hired to perform billing and bookkeeping work for a commercial refrigeration repair and maintenance business located in Steubenville, Ohio. As part of his duties, Traficante had access to a post office box where the business received payments from customers through the United States mail. In May 2006, Traficante opened a bank account and began depositing into the account checks that he removed from the company’s post office box without authorization. Traficante withdrew fraudulently obtained monies from the account for his own personal benefit. Traficante stole or diverted approximately 168 checks totaling $345,552.59. Additionally, from around January 2011 through April 15, 2012, Traficante willfully attempted to evade income tax due and owing by him to the United States for the 2011 calendar year. Traficante also willfully failed to file income tax returns following the close of the 2012 and 2013 calendar years despite being required by law to do so.

Assistant United States Attorneys James R.Wilson and David Lew prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Traficante.