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Former Accountant of Nonprofit Corporation Receiving DOJ Grant Funds Arrested and Pleaded Guilty to Misappropriation of Funds, Tax Evasion, and Obstruction of Tax Investigation

Date

On October 11, 2022, a former accountant of the Programa de Apoyo Enlace Comunitario, Inc. (PAEC), a nonprofit corporation receiving DOJ funds, was arrested and pleaded guilty following an Information charging her with one count of misappropriation of federal funds, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of tax investigation.  Margarita Botti was charged in the District of Puerto Rico.  According to the factual statement in support of the guilty plea, from in or about August 1, 2017, through on or about June 2019, Botti stole approximately $282,000 in federal funds, evaded the payment of a substantial portion of the employment taxes due by PAEC to the United States, and provided false statements to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to justify the payments that were never made.  Botti agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $282,000 to PAEC and to pay $202,000 to the IRS. The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s Miami’s Field Office.

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Plea