PROVIDENCE – Patrick Clyne, the former Rhode Island School of Design fire safety manager, pleaded guilty today to mail and tax fraud. Clyne, who returned from Ireland when an indictment was returned in March, admitted to bilking the school out of nearly $1 million in a fraudulent billing scheme for work that was never performed.
The indictment charged Clyne and his wife, Ibtisama Bradley, with mail fraud and filing a false tax return. As a result of today’s plea, the government will file a motion to dismiss that indictment, leaving Bradley free of any charges.
Between 1997 and 2005, Clyne approved fraudulent invoices totaling $981,794 for fire safety work services performed by Ankh Electric, a shell company set up for that purpose. He also filed a false income tax return for 2003, failing to report all of $180,754 that RISD paid to Ankh Electric in 2003. Clyne admitted to a total tax loss to the government of $162,743 between 2001 and 2005.
Clyne is free on bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November 2. The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while the maximum for filing a false tax return is three years in prison plus a $250,000 fine.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Clyne will forfeit to the government any property that he and Bradley purchased in Ballinamore, Ireland, with proceeds of the fraud scheme.
For additional information contact Thomas Connell at thomas.connell@usdoj.gov or go to the U.S. Attorney’s Web site at www.usdoj.gov.
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