A Bronx, New York, man was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for his role in an extensive scheme to obtain money through fraudulently obtained refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Authorities said Hector Urena previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Stolen Identity Refund Fraud is a common type of fraud committed against the United States government that involves the use of stolen identities to commit tax refund fraud. SIRF schemes generally share a number of hallmarks.
Officials said perpetrators obtain personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, from unwitting individuals, who often reside in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They then complete Form 1040 tax returns using the fraudulently obtained information and falsifying wages earned, taxes withheld, and other data, always ensuring that the fraudulent tax return generates a refund. They direct the U.S. Treasury Department to mail refund checks to locations that the perpetrators control or can access. With the fraudulently obtained refund checks in hand, SIRF perpetrators generate cash proceeds by depositing the checks into bank accounts that they control or cashing the checks at check cashing businesses.
The investigation revealed that Urena and others participated in a classic SIRF scheme. Urena’s conspirators obtained stolen identities to file fraudulent Form 1040s. He and his conspirators then used false and fraudulent documents to convert treasury checks into cash or other proceeds for their own profit at a check cashing business Urema owned. From August 2013 through May 2015, the scheme caused more than $2.7 million in losses to the U.S. Treasury.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Urena to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $2.78 million in restitution.