Couple Charged With Tax Fraud Scheme

Christine Corazo Holscher, 47, and Mark E. Holscher, 54, of Pennsauken, NJ, were charged yesterday by Indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and multiple counts of tax fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. According to the indictment, for several years Corazo Holscher and Holscher, who were then living in Philadelphia, conducted a scheme to defraud the IRS by soliciting the Social Security Numbers and dates of birth from other persons, and then filing false tax returns in the names of those persons. The tax returns filed by the Holschers falsely claimed that those persons had earned income and were entitled to a tax refund. When tax refunds were issued, the Holschers would obtain and keep a portion of each refund for themselves. The refunds issued as a result of the scheme totaled over $2 million.

If convicted, each of the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 131 years in prison and over $10 million in fines.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bea L. Witzleben and Tiwana L. Wright.

An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.