A Buffalo businessman and his son were sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to pay bribes to City of Buffalo police officers.
Judge Richard J. Arcara handed down the sentences to James Mazzariello, Jr., 63, and his son, Adam Mazzariello, 38, both of Alden, NY, on May 24, 2024. James Mazzariello, Jr. was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, while Adam Mazzariello was sentenced to 6 months.
The investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, found that between January 2009 and May 2012, Jim Mazz Auto tow truck operators made payments to certain City of Buffalo police officers for their assistance in enabling the drivers to tow motor vehicles damaged in accidents in the City of Buffalo. The payments, totaling $500, were made from the tow truck operators’ personal funds and were then reimbursed by the defendants.
The scheme resulted in a gross revenue of $43,022.74 for Jim Mazz Auto, which consisted of payments made to the company for towing, as well as for mechanical and collision repair work. James Mazzariello, Jr. also filed false corporate tax returns and individual tax returns for tax years 2009 and 2010, underreporting the total amount of gross revenue to pay less in federal taxes. The total tax loss was $125,311.
The sentencings are the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles’ Division of Field Investigation, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Criminal Investigations Division, the New York State Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Unit, and the Buffalo Police Department.
James Mazzariello, Jr. owned and operated Jim Mazz Auto, Inc. and National Towing, Inc., which were involved in all aspects of the automobile towing and repair business. Adam Mazzariello supervised the towing services aspect of his father’s businesses.
The investigation examined and substantiated 19 different payments made by Jim Mazz Auto tow truck operators to City of Buffalo Police Officers. The payments were made at the direction of the defendants.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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