Northeast Pennsylvania Check Casher Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Cabreja, age 30, Scranton, was sentenced today to two years in prison by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton for conspiracy to make false claims against the government.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Cabreja operated Frank Check Casher, Inc. in Olyphant, Cabreja and his co-conspirators used the identities of unknowing third parties to prepare and file fraudulent federal income tax returns which resulted in the issuance of tax refund checks. Cabreja deposited and cashed fraudulently obtained tax refund checks totaling $876,731 between June and August 2013. 

Judge Mannion also ordered Cabreja to pay restitution in the amount of $662,309.

Cabreja was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in February 2016, as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Hazelton, Taylor, Dickson City, Dunmore and Olyphant Police Departments, and the Lackawanna and Luzerne County District Attorneys’ Offices.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Houser.

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