TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram announced
that a former clerk in the New Jersey Division
of Taxation who processed claims for unclaimed
property was sentenced today for stealing
unclaimed funds in 2006.
According
to Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni,
Ileana Paris, 35, of Lumberton, who was a
technical assistant in the Division of Taxation,
was sentenced to 364 days in the county jail
as a condition of a term of three years probation
by Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier in
Mercer County. Judge Billmeier ordered Paris
to pay $2,150 in restitution. In addition,
Paris was ordered to forfeit public office
and was permanently barred from state employment.
Paris
pleaded guilty on Oct. 9 to a charge of third-degree
theft by deception. In pleading guilty, Paris
admitted that she stole $2,150 by creating
and approving a phony claim for unclaimed
property in a friend’s name. Deputy
Attorney General Susan Kase prosecuted the
case and represented the state at the sentencing
hearing.
The
charge was contained in a May 11, 2009 indictment
obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice
Corruption Bureau. Two other defendants, including
another clerk who processed unclaimed property
claims, were charged that day in a separate
indictment. Stefan Arteaga-Pitzenbauer, 36,
of Levittown, Pa., also a former technical
assistant with the Division of Taxation, allegedly
conspired with another man who did not work
for the state, Luis Maura, 26, of Hamilton,
to steal $8,584 by creating and approving
payment of fraudulent claims for unclaimed
property. The charges against them are pending.
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.
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.
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.
The
indictment charging Arteaga-Pitzenbauer and
Maura is merely an accusation and the defendants
are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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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