FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MA
CONTACT: CHRISTINA DiIORIO-STERLING
PHONE: (617)748-3356
E-MAIL: USAMA.MEDIA@USDOJ.GOV
TWO MEN SENTENCED IN TAX SCHEME
BOSTON, MA - Two men sentenced for scheming to obtain fraudulent tax returns.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Susan Dukes, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation - Boston Field Office, announced that RUDY ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ, 34, of Lynn, Massachusetts and LUIS PENA, 49, of Worcester, Massachusetts were sentenced on February 12, 2009 for their roles in a widespread scheme to obtain fraudulent income tax returns.
RODRIGUEZ and PENA, both citizens of the Dominican Republic, were arrested on a Complaint in March 2008, and later pled guilty in December 2008 to charges that they conspired to obtain social security numbers from persons living in Puerto Rico. RODRIGUEZ and PENA used the social security numbers to create fraudulent Forms W-2 that stated false amounts of tax withholdings and used bogus Forms W-2 to prepare and file false federal income tax returns, claiming refunds to which they were not entitled. RODRIGUEZ and PENA then intercepted the mailed refund checks by bribing United States Postal Service mail carriers or by having the refund checks mailed to addresses that were controlled by RODRIGUEZ and PENA. The scheme resulted in the cashing of more than 75 checks valued at over $230,000.
U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel sentenced RODRIGUEZ to two years imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. PENA was sentenced to time served (over ten months imprisonment), to be followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants are subject to deportation.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Cohen of Sullivan’s Public Corruption Unit.
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