An Upstate judge Wednesday pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the federal government out of more than $360,000.

Central municipal judge Janet H. Reese, 48, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of filing false tax claims, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office press release.

Reese, who also operated a tax preparation service, claimed a First-Time Homebuyer tax credit on returns for customers who hadn’t purchased a house, the attorneys say. Once the returns had processed, she had them deposited into a bank account that she controlled.

R. Darren Price