Texas’ EL PASO (KFOX14/CBS4) The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has verified that an El Paso man entered a guilty plea on Thursday to a $670,217 tax fraud conspiracy.
Elein Rodela Jr., 41, was a tax preparer in the El Paso region, according to court filings.
According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas, Rodela engaged in a scheme from August 2016 to August 2018 to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by filing fake tax returns.
The plan entailed filing false tax returns and receiving federal tax refund cheques in the names of foreign nationals who were employed in the United States using valid W2 forms.
According to the news release, Rodela opened P.O. boxes in El Paso, Texas and New Mexico and used those locations as addresses to receive tax refund checks that were fraudulently obtained.
Rodela cashed the return checks and used a kids’ sports team’s bank account to launder the funds.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas, Rodela’s plan caused a total loss to the IRS of more than $600,000.
Rodela entered a guilty plea to five charges of money laundering, three counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one act of stealing from the government.
There is no defined time for a sentence.
On each count of mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, Rodela could spend up to 20 years in jail.
On the offence of stealing public funds, he might spend up to 10 years in prison.
El Paso in Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) An El Paso man pleaded guilty to a $670,217 tax fraud conspiracy on Thursday, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Elein Rodela Jr., 41, worked in tax preparation in the El Paso area.
Rodela engaged in a scheme from August 2016 to August 2018 to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by filing false tax returns, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas.
The strategy involved submitting fraudulent tax returns and getting federal tax refund checks in the names of foreign nationals who had legitimate W2 forms for employment in the US.
By the press release, Rodela opened P.O. boxes in El Paso, Texas and New Mexico and used those locations as the recipients of fraudulently obtained tax refund checks.
Rodela cashed the return checks and deposited the money into the bank account of a youth sports team.
According to the Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office, Rodela’s scheme cost the IRS more than $600,000 in total.
To five counts of money laundering, three counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of stealing from the government, Rodela entered a guilty plea.
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The length of the sentence is not specified.
Rodela faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.
He could serve up to 10 years in prison for the theft of public monies.
