51°
Ruby Baroni, 55, took a deal from the government rather than face trial – the same as her former manager, Estela Laluf, 76, of River Edge.
Laluf was sentenced in April to an agreed-upon 27 months in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals sentenced Baroni on Thursday to two years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $295,297 in restitution.
Between 2010 and 2016, she and Laluf conspired to write checks against the East Rutherford-based company’s bank accounts to cash, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
Checks were also issued to actual company employees and contractors, individuals and shell companies for work they didn't do, the U.S. attorney said.
Baroni and Laluf then converted the money for their personal use, he said.
Baroni, like Laluf, omitted the illegally-gained profits from her 2016 year tax return, authorities said.
She pleaded guilty to fraud and subscribing to a false personal income tax return.
Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation with the investigation leading to the plea secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of his Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lakewood and receive free news updates.
