BROCKPORT WOMAN AWAITING SENTENCING ON FRAUD CHARGE, PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Patricia Hutchins, 53, of Brockport, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2021, U.S. Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant at Hutchins’ Greece residence and seized documents, cash, and electronic devices that were either used in or derived from various wire fraud schemes, including Unemployment Insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud, and elder fraud. In October 2022, Hutchins was arrested on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. On May 1, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing on that charge. As part of her plea agreement, Hutchins she was required to pay restitution to two victims: $20,052.00 to reimburse a financial institution for a fraudulent PPP loan disbursement and $25,100.00 to an elderly individual who had been duped into “paying off a debt for a friend” by sending that money to Hutchins.  Hutchins was in a position to make those restitution payment because she was about to gain a substantial sum from the sale of her home.

On October 16, 2024, Hutchins appeared in federal court for sentencing. At that time, she stated that she had invested the entire proceeds of her home sale in a retirement account and did not have any money for restitution. As a result, her sentencing was delayed and she was ordered to withdraw the funds from the retirement account and use them to pay restitution to her victims. On December 4, 2024, Hutchins appeared once again for sentencing. This time, she advised the court that she used all her money to buy gift cards for an individual she claimed was Kenny Chesney.  However, Hutchins had used that excuse with law enforcement two previous times when she was actually stealing money from victims and the government.    

A review of Hutchins’ financial records confirmed that the proceeds from the sale of her residence—approximately $47,000—were deposited into her bank account one month before her scheduled sentencing on October 16, 2024. In the month leading up to the sentencing, she pulled approximately $15,000.00 out of the account by purchasing 80 $250.00 gift cards at merchants such as Walgreens, Tops, Wegman’s, Lowe’s, and Home Depot. After the original sentencing was adjourned, and she was directed by the Court to gather funds to pay restitution, Hutchins purchased another 40 gift cards totaling approximately $8,500.00. As of November 29, 2024, there was only approximately $1,000 left in her account and her victims had yet to receive any restitution.

While investigating Hutchins’ disbursement of the restitution funds, law enforcement discovered that she had engaged in even more credit card fraud than was originally discovered.  For example, she had used a victim’s bank account to make 17 payments on her personal credit card totaling over $14,000.  The plea agreement requires Hutchins to pay restitution to these victims as well, brining her total restitution owed to approximately $60,000.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division.

Hutchins will be sentenced on both the fraud and making false statement charges on October 7, 2025, before Judge Geraci.