New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Thomas H. Mattox today announced measures to more aggressively eradicate tax evasion statewide.  The Department is expanding its partnership with the State Police, as well as bringing in veteran criminal investigators to lead the effort.

“Tax evasion is a serious crime that steals from all responsible taxpayers,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.  “These measures are part of our ongoing effort to more thoroughly investigate and bring tax criminals to justice.”

Joining Forces

Under a new agreement between the State Police and the Tax Department, State Police investigators will embed with the Tax Department’s criminal investigations staff. 

The agreement builds on an existing partnership between the two organizations in regard to cigarette tax enforcement. Since July 2011, statewide cigarette tax seizures have prevented the evasion of more than $20 million in state tax revenue by illegal cigarette traffickers and sellers.  

The expanded effort reaches beyond cigarette fraud to all criminal violations of the New York State Tax Law, including sales and income tax fraud.   

“The combined efforts of our investigators have had a significant impact in terms of cigarette tax enforcement,” said State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico.  “Under this new agreement, we will accelerate tax enforcement actions and better protect New Yorkers from tax criminals.”

 “This partnership leverages our joint resources and the best practices of one of the nation’s most-respected law enforcement agencies,” said Commissioner Mattox.  “Not only will we enhance our criminal enforcement efforts across all tax types, but we will also improve information sharing among local, federal and state enforcement agencies.”

New Criminal Enforcement Leadership

Commissioner Mattox also announced that, concurrent with the State Police partnership, the Department’s criminal investigations are now under the leadership of two law enforcement veterans.   

Risa S. Sugarman comes to the Department with more than three decades of enforcement experience.   Most recently, she was the Deputy Commissioner and Director of the Office of Sex Offender Management at the Division of Criminal Justice Services.  Her career also includes 20 years in the Bronx District Attorney's Office, including a decade as chief of the Homicide Division.

As the Deputy Commissioner for Criminal Enforcement. Ms. Sugarman will have overall responsibility for the Department’s criminal investigations programs and operations.

Joining Ms. Sugarman is veteran investigator Christopher A. Ammirati as the Department’s Director of Investigations. Mr. Ammirati brings 26 years of experience to the agency, including highly complex, international criminal investigations involving money laundering, corruption, and financial fraud. He has held several leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Director of the El Dorado Money Laundering Task Force.

Mr. Ammirati will supervise the investigators and auditors in the Criminal Investigations Division.