TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal
Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced
that a former clerk in the New Jersey Division
of Taxation who processed claims for unclaimed
property and a co-defendant were sentenced
today for their roles in a scheme to steal
unclaimed funds in 2006.
According
to Director Taylor, Stefan Arteaga-Pitzenbauer,
37, of Levittown, Pa., a former technical
assistant with the Division of Taxation,
was sentenced to 364 days in the county
jail as a condition of two years of probation
by Superior Court Judge Gerald J. Council
in Mercer County. Arteaga-Pitzenbauer was
also ordered to perform 100 hours of community
service. He is permanently barred from public
employment in New Jersey. The sentence was
based on Arteaga-Pitzenbauer’s Feb.
8 guilty plea to third-degree official misconduct.
He was charged in a May 11, 2009 state grand
jury indictment.
Also
today, co-defendant Luis Maura, 26, of Hamilton,
was sentenced to three years of probation
by Judge Council. Maura pleaded guilty on
Feb. 8 to third-degree theft by deception,
a charge contained in the May 11, 2009 state
grand jury indictment. Prior to today’s
sentencing, the defendants paid the full
amount of restitution.
In
pleading guilty, Stefan Arteaga-Pitzenbauer
admitted that he fraudulently prepared and
approved payment of unclaimed property claims
using names of individuals that were provided
by Maura. Arteaga-Pitzenbaura and Maura
admitted that, through the scam, they stole
$8,584.
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 was removed his state
job in 2008 after the 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 investigation for the Division of Taxation
Internal Security Unit. The investigation
was led for the State Police Official Corruption
Bureau by Detective James Sansone. New Jersey
State Police Detective Sgt. Dave Smith assisted
in the investigation. Deputy Attorney General
Kase and Deputy Attorney General Michael
Wicke coordinated the investigations for
the Division of Criminal Justice. Deputy
Attorney General Kase represented the Division
of Criminal Justice at today’s sentencing.
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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