District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson announced today that Heather Mitstifer, age 32, has pleaded guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the first degree, a class E felony, and Criminal Tax Fraud in the fifth degree, a class A misdemeanor. 

             Ms. Mistifer, a former resident of Van Etten, NY,  appeared in front of County Court Judge Rowley on July 1, 2011 and admitted to using her position at a medical billing company to cause false refunds to issue to herself.  The scheme resulted in Ms. Mitstifer wrongfully obtaining over $28,000.00.  In addition, Ms. Mitstifer admitted that she failed to report any of this income on her New York State tax return and thereby avoided paying over $2,000.00 in tax to New York State. 

              The Ithaca Police Department handled the investigation in this matter with additional investigation being performed by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Criminal Investigations Division.