Salinas Woman Gets 14 Months for $9.7M Tax Fraud

SAN JOSE – Ana Bajo, 43, of Salinas, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 14 months for her part in a brazen tax fraud scheme that bilked the IRS out of millions. U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman, and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter announced the sentence, handed down today by U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh.

The operation, hatched in 2012, involved Bajo, along with co-conspirators Jacqueline Ramos and Norma Morfin, systematically stealing personal identifying information. They then used this data to file over 2,300 fraudulent income tax returns. These weren’t simple errors; the returns were packed with fabricated wages, bogus dependents, inflated education expenses, and completely false tax credits. The total ask: a staggering $9.7 million. The IRS, unfortunately, paid out over $7.5 million before the scheme was uncovered.

Federal authorities indicted Bajo on July 13, 2017, charging her with conspiracy to submit false claims, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 286. She later pleaded guilty, admitting her role in the elaborate fraud. The crew didn’t just file the returns; they directed the fraudulently obtained refund checks into bank accounts they personally controlled, allowing them to pocket the stolen funds.

Judge Koh didn’t just stop at the prison sentence. Bajo was ordered to pay a hefty $1,641,610 in restitution to the government, attempting to recoup some of the lost money. She’ll also be under three years of supervised release once she’s done serving her time. This isn’t an isolated case; authorities have been systematically bringing down the players involved.

Bajo is the fourth member of this crew to receive a sentence from Judge Koh. Jacqueline Ramos received a 60-month prison term, Norma Morfin got 30 months, and Antonio Ahumada Rivas will spend 21 months behind bars. The sentences reflect the scale of the fraud and the deliberate nature of the conspiracy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Pitman and Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani of the Tax Division are leading the prosecution, built on an investigation conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation. This case serves as a stark reminder that identity theft and tax fraud are serious federal crimes with significant consequences, and the IRS is actively pursuing those who attempt to defraud the system.