“Now I’m good,” she told herself. “Now, I’m safe.”
The doctorate-holding daughter of a plumber from Queens had made a life advising the federal government on stem cells, new energy technologies and the effects of biological weapons. Despite a history of meticulousness, Sharples was victimized by a global network of online criminals, including a man with a gentle Indian accent who helped make off with much of her life savings.
The government she served for more than four decades is compounding her pain. The Internal Revenue Service told Sharples, 73, that she had to pay hefty taxes on the stolen money, which the federal government considers income. Tax specialists said someone in Sharples’s position could face a six-figure bill.
The story of how Sharples was hit twice — first by an…
