Governor Cuomo Announces $13.5 Million to Combat Tax Evasion and Welfare Fraud Statewide
New York, NY - January 3, 2019 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than $13.5 million in grants has been awarded to 29 district attorneys' offices statewide to continue the enhancement of their investigation of state tax evasion and welfare fraud cases. The grants are made available through the state's Crimes Against Revenue Program, which is supported by proceeds from investigations and subsequent prosecutions that result in tax revenues, fines and restitution being paid to the state.
"New York State has zero tolerance for theft of any kind from hardworking men and women and we will continue to do everything in our power to crack down on those who cheat the system," Governor Cuomo said. "This funding will assist prosecutors across the state protect New Yorkers and hold responsible individuals accountable."
CARP, a joint initiative of the State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Division of Criminal Justice Services, targets individuals who deliberately fail to pay tax obligations, as well as those who commit Medicaid, welfare, unemployment and workers' compensation fraud. The Department of Tax and Finance serves as the program expert by providing technical assistance and helping to identify cases for investigation while the Division of Criminal Justice Services administers the grant funding.
The grants fund personnel, including forensic accountants, investigators and assistant district attorneys, who work to build cases for prosecution. CARP investigations focus on the failure to pay any type of taxes, such as excise, sales, and income, by individuals, corporations or industries which can include complex financial fraud and tax evasion schemes orchestrated by major criminal enterprises.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael C. Green said, "Since it was established in 2004, CARP has continued to provide district attorneys across the state with the funding necessary to help them investigate and prosecute these often complex and specialized cases. We are proud to be a part of these collaborative efforts to identify and prosecute these individuals who are looking to cheat the system and honest taxpayers of New York State."
Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion said, "CARP puts more muscle into our criminal investigations, helping us strengthen the productive partnerships we've built with local law enforcement organizations. It's an important element in the agency's vigilant and continuous effort to bring tax cheats to justice."
The 29 county district attorneys' offices receiving grants announced today have been funded through the Crimes Against Revenue Program since 2016. While only those offices were eligible to apply for funding, they were not guaranteed the same amount they had previously received. The grants align with the calendar year ending in December 2019 with optional renewals for up to two additional years.
New York City
- Bronx: $692,300
- Kings (Brooklyn): $802,600
- New York (Manhattan): $5,000,000
- Queens: $1,491,400
- Richmond (Staten Island): $256,210
Long Island
- Nassau County: $633,399
- Suffolk: $1,605,500
Mid-Hudson
- Orange: $112,810
- Rockland: $357,600
- Ulster: $143,600
- Westchester: $278,100
Capital Region
- Albany: $299,710
- Rensselaer: $102,800
- Saratoga $118,900
- Schenectady: $130,000
- Warren: $59,600
- Washington: $36,200
Mohawk Valley
- Montgomery: $28,600
- Oneida: $160,878
Central New York
- Cayuga: $80,000
- Madison: $67,000
- Onondaga: $111,110
Southern Tier
- Chemung: $64,170
- Steuben: $40,400
Finger Lakes
- Ontario: $92,100
- Monroe: $208,000
Western New York
- Chautauqua: $65,000
- Erie: $414,100
- Niagara: $68,810
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (www.criminaljustice.ny.gov) has a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the state's DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the state's Sex Offender Registry.
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (www.tax.ny.gov) annually processes 25 million tax returns and collects more than $90 billion in annual state and local revenue.