Kristina Gross, Misusing Names of Government Agencies, New York 2018

A Wynantskill woman has been sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine for misusing the names of the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a misdemeanor offense.

Kristina Gross, age 37, of Wynantskill, New York, was sentenced today to pay the fine after a guilty plea in January 2018. Gross admitted to working for a construction services company in Rensselaer County, whose Kinderhook Bank account had been levied by the IRS on February 14, 2017.

On February 23, 2017, Gross twice emailed Kinderhook Bank what she claimed was an IRS release of levy form, in an unsuccessful attempt to induce the bank to provide her company with access to funds that the bank had frozen as a result of receiving the IRS levy.

Gross admitted that the document she sent to Kinderhook Bank on February 23 was forged, inaccurate and not approved or authorized by the Department of the Treasury or the IRS. She also admitted to knowing that the document would create the false impression at Kinderhook Bank that the IRS had actually issued the document when, in fact, the IRS had not.

The case was investigated by the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett. United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and William A. Kalb, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeastern Field Division of TIGTA, made the announcement.

The sentence marks the culmination of a lengthy investigation into Gross’s actions. The case highlights the importance of protecting the integrity of government agencies and the consequences of attempting to misuse their names.

Gross’s sentence serves as a reminder that those who attempt to deceive others by misusing the names of government agencies will be held accountable for their actions.

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