Pompton Lakes bookkeeper admitted to wire fraud and tax evasion, U.S. attorney says

A Passaic County man pleaded guilty to charges of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients through his bookkeeping services, officials announced Wednesday.

Richard Winter, 53, of Pompton Lakes, admitted to counts of wire fraud and tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

From January 2016 through December 2019, Winter was employed as the bookkeeper and controller for the companies that fell victim to his schemes. He used this position and his own company, Back Office Pro, LLC, to authorize bank wire transfers to divert funds from his clients to his own bank account.

Winter was able to manipulate one of his victims, a New Jersey corporation that managed accounts for a restaurant with locations in New York and Pennsylvania, through altering payment information, such as the bank account number and routing number. He switched the victim's checking account number and routing number to match the information that was on his Back Office Pro business bank account so funds would transfer into his account instead of his client's.

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Winter authorized about 39 fraudulent bank-to-bank wire transactions from the New Jersey company's bank account into his own business checking account, through the falsified invoices. This resulted in Winter's embezzling over $225,000 from that company.

Winter then manipulated five of his other clients through diverting vendor payments to his own account through an online portal. He also issued checks payable to "cash" from a victim's company bank account to his own controlled bank account.

Documents from the U.S. Attorney's Office show an example of Winter transmitting $3,601.21 from his victim's bank into a bank account controlled by the bookkeeper.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credits the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark and special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation for assisting with the case.

Winter could face a penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for a wire fraud charge. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ man admits to using bookkeeper job to steal from clients