Middlesex County, N.J., Woman Admits Conspiring To Defraud U.S. Treasury Department Of More Than $900,000

TRENTON, N.J. - A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman today admitted her role in defrauding the United States Department of the Treasury of more than $900,000 in income tax return checks, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced today.       
         
Rosanna Rodriguez, 29, of Middlesex, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in federal court in Trenton, to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Rodriguez was the head teller at a bank located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and received Treasury checks from her conspirators. Rodriguez’ role in the scheme was to negotiate Treasury checks against unknowing third-party bank accounts at the bank. She admitted the total loss from the conspiracy was more than $900,000, and that she used a portion of that money for her own personal expenses, knowing the money had been fraudulently obtained from the U.S. Treasury.

The count of conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2015.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Mottola; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Corcione of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark, N.J.

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Defense counsel: Patrick McMahon Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

Rodriguez, Rosanna Information