Salinas Residents Charged In Tax And Mortgage Fraud Scheme

SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury in San Jose indicted Elizabeth Calderon and Esther Sanchez, AKA Trinidad Carrillo, with filing false tax returns, theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, making false statements to federally insured institution, and conspiracy, announced Acting United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon.

According to the indictment, beginning on or about November 24, 2010, and continuing to the present, Calderon, 39, a resident of Salinas, Calif., has been a professional tax return preparer.  Calderon is charged with willfully assisting in the preparation and presentation of thirteen false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, for other taxpayers.  Calderon is also charged with theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft for using someone else’s identification to obtain fraudulent income tax refunds, and with filing false Forms 1040 in her own name for 2010, 2011 and 2012.  In addition, Calderon and Sanchez, 54, also a resident of Salinas, are charged with conspiring to submit a loan application to Bank of America that contained false information and was supported by counterfeited documents. 

Calderon and Sanchez were arrested in Salinas this morning.  They made their initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in San Jose before the Honorable Paul S. Grewal, U.S. Magistrate Judge.  Both defendants’ next appearance is scheduled for October 13, 2015 at 9:00 AM before the Honorable Beth Labson Freeman.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of filing false tax returns and each count of aiding or advising false tax returns, in violation of  26 U.S.C. §§  7206(1) and 7206(2).  The maximum sentence for theft of government funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, is ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  The maximum penalty for aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, is two years in prison to run consecutive with the underlying felony and a fine of $250,000.  The maximum sentence for making false statements to federally insured institution, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014, is thirty years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.  The maximum penalty for conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Additional fines, penalties and supervised release also may be ordered.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.