Buffalo, N.Y. — Joseph Ciffa, a 56-year-old from Tonawanda, NY, was sentenced to 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
Ciffa’s criminal activities in the debt collection industry spanned several years, beginning in 2013, when he started using aggressive and deceitful tactics to collect debts. Leading an illegal operation in Western New York, Ciffa and his employees used threats and impersonated attorneys to coerce payments. The operation accumulated over $3 million from victims between 2015 and 2016.
In addition to his fraudulent debt collection activities, Ciffa also committed tax evasion by filing a false 2015 tax return, underreporting income and evading $15,000 in taxes. Further investigation revealed that he falsified his Medicaid benefits application in 2016, misrepresenting his income.
The sentence follows an extensive investigation by agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
