Tax collector sentenced for stealing tax payments and filing false tax returns

 

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Date: February 22, 2022

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Pittsburgh, PA — A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release on her conviction of wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Jeanne Bowser of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, Bowser was the elected tax collector for Center Township, Beaver, Pennsylvania and also collected taxes for Central Valley School District. From approximately December 2011 until approximately August 2019, Bowser embezzled a total of approximately $1,028,183.81 in tax payments from both the township and school district. She embezzled the funds by writing checks to herself out of a bank account that was used for tax deposits and by stealing cash tax payments. In addition to the embezzlement, the Court was further advised that Bowser filed false income tax returns for a period of six years.

Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Chung commended Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bowser.