TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that two former clerks in the New
Jersey Division of Taxation who processed
claims for unclaimed property were charged
today in separate indictments with stealing
unclaimed funds in 2006. A co-conspirator
of one of the clerks was also indicted.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Stefan Arteaga-Pitzenbauer,
36, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, a former technical
assistant with the Division of Taxation, allegedly
conspired with another man who did not work
for the state, Luis Maura, 25, of Hamilton,
to steal $8,584 by creating and approving
payment of fraudulent claims for unclaimed
property.
Arteaga-Pitzenbauer
and Maura are each charged in a state grand
jury indictment with conspiracy (2nd degree),
official misconduct (2nd degree), theft by
deception (3rd degree), tampering with public
records (3rd degree) and falsifying records
(4th degree). The indictment was obtained
today by the Division of Criminal Justice
Corruption Bureau.
A
second state grand jury indictment returned
today charges Ileana Paris, 34, of Lumberton,
who also was a technical assistant in the
Division of Taxation, with official misconduct
(2nd degree), theft by deception (3rd degree)
and tampering with public records (3rd degree).
She allegedly stole $2,150 by creating and
approving a phony claim for unclaimed property.
The
two indictments resulted from investigations
conducted by the Division of Taxation, New
Jersey State Police and Division of Criminal
Justice.
Unclaimed
property is property, excluding real estate,
that has been unclaimed by its rightful owner
for a period of time specified by statute.
Examples include unclaimed class action proceeds,
safe deposit box contents, utility deposits,
money orders and traveler’s checks.
To claim property, an individual must file
a form with the Division of Taxation to prove
ownership. Technical assistants process claims
and approve verified claims for payment.
Arteaga-Pitzenbauer
and Maura, who worked together as waiters
in a Trenton restaurant, allegedly conspired
to file nine fraudulent claims for unclaimed
property totaling $8,584. The claims were
filed in the names of Maura and four other
men. Arteaga-Pitzenbauer allegedly created
and processed the claims in his official capacity.
Arteaga-Pitzenbauer
had authority to approve claims under $1,000
without a secondary approval from a supervisor.
He approved the phony claims, each of which
was for an amount between $900 and $1,000,
causing the state to issue payment checks
in the names of the claimants. The checks
were cashed and the defendants allegedly obtained
the proceeds.
The
second indictment alleges that Paris created
and approved a fraudulent claim for $2,150
in a friend’s name. She had authority
to approve claims for up to $2,500 without
approval from a supervisor. The check was
cashed and Paris allegedly obtained the proceeds.
The
Division of Taxation Internal Security Unit
initiated the investigations and referred
them to the State Police Official Corruption
Bureau and Division of Criminal Justice. Arteaga-Pitzenbauer
and Paris were removed from their state jobs
in 2008 after the alleged conduct was uncovered.
Attorney
General Milgram thanked the Division of Taxation
for the referrals.
Deputy
Attorney General Susan Kase presented the
indictments to the state grand jury for the
Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.
Investigator
Carolyn A. Fox, Investigator Linda H. Bowker,
Dennis G. Shilling, who now is Chief of Staff
for the Division of Taxation, and Supervising
Investigator Jack Grady conducted the investigations
for the Division of Taxation Internal Security
Unit. The investigations were led for the
State Police Official Corruption Bureau by
Detective James Sansone in the case of Arteaga-Pitzenbauer
and Maura, and by Detective Sgt. Neil Hickey
in the Paris case. New Jersey State Police
Detective Sergeant Dave Smith assisted on
the Arteaga-Pitzenbauer and Maura investigation,
and Detective Mario Dirienzo assisted on the
Paris investigation. Deputy Attorney General
Kase and Deputy Attorney General Michael Wicke
coordinated the investigations for the Division
of Criminal Justice.
Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in state prison and a $150,000 fine, while
third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The
indictments are merely accusations and the
defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty. The indictments were handed up to
Superior Court Judge Maria Marinari Sypek
in Mercer County. The defendants will be ordered
to appear in Superior Court in Mercer County
at a later date to answer the charges.
The
Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau
has established a toll-free tipline: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.
Additionally, the public can log on to the
Division of Criminal Justice Web page at www.njdcj.org
to report suspected wrongdoing. All information
received through the Division of Criminal
Justice Corruption Tipline or Web page will
remain confidential.
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