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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a Jersey City man pleaded guilty
today to his role in a conspiracy involving
his business partner and members of the partner’s
family in which they stole $573,383 from the
state by filing fraudulent applications for
745 Homestead Rebate checks.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Paul Sarris, 52,
of Jersey City, pleaded guilty today to a
second-degree charge of theft by deception
before Superior Court Judge Darlene J. Pereksta
in Mercer County. Under the plea agreement,
the state will recommend that he be sentenced
to 10 years in state prison. He also must
pay restitution of $282,902, representing
his share of the amount stolen from the state
plus a penalty and interest.
In
pleading guilty, Sarris admitted that he conspired
with his business partner, Achilles “Butz”
Amante, 57, formerly of Jersey City, in a
fraudulent scheme in which they filed 745
false Homestead Rebate applications with the
State of New Jersey between August 2001 and
September 2003, including multiple applications
for each of 15 residential and commercial
addresses they rented in Jersey City.
“This
defendant conspired to steal more than half
a million dollars in funds that were intended
to assist property taxpayers in New Jersey,”
said Attorney General Milgram. “This
prison sentence sends a strong message that,
working with the Division of Taxation, we
will thoroughly investigate and vigorously
prosecute those who try to defraud these programs.”
The
state’s investigation revealed that
they filed the applications using names and
Social Security numbers obtained from tax
preparation clients, without permission of
the clients. The defendants laundered the
$573,383 in stolen funds by depositing the
rebate checks in various commercial bank accounts
maintained for their businesses. Sarris specifically
admitted that he deposited 371 checks totaling
more than $282,000 into six bank accounts
he maintained and controlled on behalf of
his business, Sarris Financial Services.
Deputy
Attorney General Denise Grugan is prosecuting
the case and represented the Division of Criminal
Justice at the guilty plea hearing. The investigation
was conducted by Auditors Kevin Curry and
Debra Lewaine of the Division of Taxation
- Office of Criminal Investigation.
Charges
are pending against Butz Amante, who is a
fugitive. An arrest warrant has been issued
for him. Sarris has been in Mercer County
Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. Judge Pereksta
scheduled his sentencing for June 1.
Three
of Amante’s children and his sister,
all of Jersey City, previously pleaded guilty
and were sentenced last year for participating
in the scheme.
Amorito
“Angelo” A. Amante, 35, and Aloysius
M. Amante, 33, were each sentenced to five
years in state prison after pleading guilty
to theft by deception. Amorito Amante was
ordered to pay $80,173 in restitution, while
Aloysius Amante was ordered to pay $40,794
in restitution.
Aristides
Amante, 29, also pleaded guilty to theft by
deception, and was ordered to serve five years
probation, conditioned on serving 30 days
in the sheriff’s labor program. He was
ordered to pay $78,000 in restitution. Matilda
Amante Ramos, 58, pleaded guilty to theft
by deception and was ordered to serve five
years probation and pay $35,851 in restitution.
Matilda Amante Ramos ran a travel agency,
while all of the other defendants operated
their own financial service companies offering
tax preparation services.
Attorney
General Milgram credited the Jersey City Police
Department with initiating the investigation
after receiving a tip that numerous Homestead
Rebate checks addressed to different names
were sent to a Jersey City address rented
by Sarris and Butz Amante. They referred the
case to the New Jersey Division of Taxation
- Office of Criminal Investigation, which
conducted an audit that identified hundreds
of fraudulent rebate applications linked to
the defendants. The Division of Taxation brought
the Division of Criminal Justice into the
investigation.
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