February 5, 2003

PRESS RELEASE

FORMER IRS EMPLOYEE SENTENCED FOR
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESSING OF TAXPAYER RECORDS

Boston, MA... An former IRS Customer Service Representative was sentenced today to 24 months probation for unauthorized accessing of taxpayer records.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Michael Delgado, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, announced that FRANCESCO FICO, age 38, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Robert E. Keeton to two years probation and mental health counseling for his unauthorized computer access of IRS taxpayer records and unauthorized inspection of IRS tax return information. In prior proceedings, the prosecutor told the Court that from January 1997 through January 2002, FICO, who at the time was a customer service representative with the IRS, made more than 1900 unauthorized accesses of at least 17 different taxpayers' records.

This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Schulman in Sullivan's Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.

Press Contacts: Samantha Martin, (617) 748-3139