Source: United States Department of Justice News
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Stevens, 58, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to making a materially false statement to a probation officer, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that Stevens was convicted in Federal Court of bank fraud and tax evasion and sentenced to serve 33 months in prison in August 2018. In April 2020, Stevens began a period of supervised release, during which he was required to meet monthly with a U.S. Probation Officer and complete a monthly supervision report. Making a false statement on the monthly supervision report can result in the revocation of supervised release as well as additional prison time. In December 2020, and January and February 2021, Stevens failed to disclose the existence of a Wells Fargo checking account that he had opened in his name in October 2020. This account was subsequently used to receive fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John Pias and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, New York Region.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
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