Monday, February 22, 2016

Tax Preparer sentenced to 9 years or 108 months

Tell me, what can a tax preparer do so wrong to get hit with a 9  year federal prison sentence?
Well, he defrauded the government and the government hit him back. What was the fraud? It was a sophisticated scheme but when you make money dishonestly, you will lose it and be proved a fool as noted by Jeremiah 17:11. This is the way of the world. What did he do wrong? Mr. Noel Cuello bribed a New York City Fraud Investigator with the New York Human Resources Administration who gave Cuello social security numbers and names associated with infant children. He then used that information to file thousands of false tax returns to obtain the Earned Income Tax Credit (“EITC”), which is available to qualifying low and moderate income working individuals and families. See full story here...http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/leader-multimillion-dollar-tax-fraud-scheme-involving-use-children-s-identities. Mr. Cuello has to forfeit 3.5 million dollars and has a restitution of 3.5 million dollars.

Six people in this scheme were sentenced to between 36 months and 108 months. As per the Fraud Investigator, Francisco Abreu, he is being sentenced last by the Hon. Naomi Rice Buchwald. That tells me that he was cooperating and or assisted the government substantially.

So the $64,000 question is how did the government crack this case? It does not say. I can assume that maybe someone in HRA noticed something funny and ratted out Mr. Abreu. Or, maybe the feds got wind of something when the real families of the children complained about refund money they never received since the refund money was sent to fictitious filers. If I would have to guess, the investigation probably started from complainers.

I am no stranger to prison as I sat 1316 days in seven institutions for immigration fraud and trust me, it was no picnic. The toughest part is being away from family and loved ones and you are treated like a child.

To read my story , go here...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011GTWLOG

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