Part-time Grant Administrator Sentenced for Converting $57K from FEMA Grant to His Own Use, Filing False Tax Returns

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Hollidaysburg, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to one day in prison in prison and 24 months’ supervised release, with six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, on his conviction of conversion of government funds and filing false tax returns Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Anthony DiBona, 58, of Hollidaysburg, PA.

According to information presented to the court, on April 19, 2013, DiBona received and converted falsely to his own use a total of $57,242 in federally funded grant money from Federal Emergency Management Agency, through payments made to him, to which he was not entitled. 

Further, when filing his original tax returns for tax years 2013, 2014, and 2015, DiBona omitted all grant income from his form 1040s, and made written declarations under the penalties of perjury, which he did not believe to be true and correct. After the IRS discovered that DiBona had received unreported income from the grant, DiBona was advised the grant income was taxable. Accordingly, DiBona through a tax preparer, filed a first set of amended returns for the relevant tax years and added the grant income to his returns. However, on July 24 to July 25, 2018, DiBona went to a different tax preparer and filed a second set of amended returns removing the grant income, again making written declarations under the penalties of perjury which he did not believe to be true and correct. Similarly, DiBona also filed an original return for tax year 2017 and omitted his grant income. This conduct resulted in a total tax loss of $19,809.

In addition to his supervised release, DiBona was ordered to pay $25,264.07 in restitution to the IRS and $57,242 in restitution to FEMA. As a special condition of his supervised release, he is barred from holding a fiduciary position with the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company. 

Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Mr. Kaufman commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Department of Homeland Security Investigations-Office of Inspector General for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of DiBona.