Massachusetts Man Pleaded Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the IRS Using Stolen IDs of

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Thursday, July 13, 2017



Massachusetts Man Pleaded Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the IRS Using Stolen IDs of Puerto Rico Residents to Claim Tax Refunds

Cashed Millions in Fraudulently Obtained IRS Refund Checks

A Lawrence, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today during his trial in the District of Massachusetts to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), access device fraud, theft of government property, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb for the District of Massachusetts.

According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2008 through 2015, Furvio Flete-Garcia, 45, obtained the personal identification information of Puerto Rico residents and, without their knowledge or consent, paid others to prepare and file tax returns with the IRS in their names. These returns listed fake income and tax withholdings and sought fraudulent refunds. Flete-Garcia would pick up the tax refund checks from addresses he controlled and cashed them with co-conspirators for a percentage of their face value. In total, he negotiated millions in fraudulent refund checks at two different check cashing businesses in Lawrence.

Flete-Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25 by U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin. Flete-Garcia faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each count of theft of government property and access device fraud, 20 years in prison for each count of money laundering and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Flete-Garcia’s co-defendant, Juan Santiago, pleaded guilty in April 2016 to conspiracy to defraud the IRS, access device fraud, conversion of government property and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Weinreb thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey Smith and Trial Attorney Sean Green of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg also thanked the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Secret Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for assisting in the investigation and prosecution.

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Two Lawrence Men Charged in Identity Theft Fraud Scheme, Had More Than 800 Names and SS#’s


BOSTON – Two Lawrence men were charged in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme to file fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities.

Furvio Flete-Garcia, 42, and Juan Santiago, 36, nationals of the Dominican Republic, were indicted on conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government property, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, in 2013 and 2014, Flete-Garcia and Santiago allegedly possessed more than 800 names and social security numbers of U.S. citizens, including Puerto Rican residents, which Santiago allegedly sold to another individual for the purpose of using those identities to prepare and file fraudulent federal income tax returns. The indictment further alleges that Flete-Garcia and Santiago sold more than 16 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks with a total face value of more than $100,000 to the same individual. These tax refund checks were issued by the IRS as a result of the fraudulent income tax returns that were filed using the stolen identities.

The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of theft of government property and access device fraud each provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Lisa A. Quinn, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division.

http://valleypatriot.com/two-lawrenc...names-and-sss/

Serve time and BOOT them out!