Brockport woman accused of lying about not having enough money to pay fraud victims

BROCKPORT, N.Y. — A Brockport woman who is awaiting sentencing in a wire fraud scheme is facing more charges, accused of lying about not having enough money to pay restitution to victims.

Attorneys announced on Wednesday that Patricia Hutchins, 53, is charged with making a false statement and bank fraud. Those charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison if convicted.

U.S. Postal inspectors say Hutchins was involved in unemployment insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program loan fraud, and elder fraud. Inspectors say they seized evidence of the schemes including documents, cash, and electronic devices back in July 2021.

Last May, Hutchins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of her plea, she agreed to reimburse a financial institution $20,000 for a fraudulent PPP loan and an elderly scam victim $25,000.

However, according to attorneys, Hutchins lied about not having enough money to pay restitution during a federal court appearance, which delayed her sentencing by months. Hutchins claimed that she gave her money to a person who she believed was country music star Kenny Chesney, who had agreed to invest it for her.

She also claimed to have invested the entire proceeds of her home sale in a retirement account. Attorneys say that was a lie and she deposited the proceeds from the home sale into her bank account a month before her originally scheduled sentencing in October. Attorneys say that, a month before the sentencing, she pulled $15,000 from the account and spent it on gift cards. That left only $1,000 in her account as of late November

Hutchins’ sentencing in the wire fraud case is scheduled for April.