A Chula Vista woman has admitted to stealing over $164,000 from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), despite owing the agency for back taxes that she had failed to pay.
Cecilia Hernandez, 46, of Chula Vista, California, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to stealing more than $164,000 from the IRS. According to court documents, Hernandez sent the IRS over $525,000 in worthless checks written on closed accounts, ostensibly to pay off a tax debt she owed from previous years.
The checks, written in 2011 and 2013, were for amounts far greater than the tax debt and triggered a series of fraudulent refunds. In all, Hernandez wrote more than $525,000 in bad checks to the IRS, resulting in her obtaining over $164,000 in the form of fraudulent refunds.
Among other things, Hernandez spent her illicit proceeds on a $33,000 Chrysler 300 and an extravagant Quinceañera for her daughter costing more than $40,000.
As part of her plea, Hernandez agreed to restitution of the funds stolen from the IRS. Hernandez will appear for sentencing on June 14, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia.
Hernandez will face the consequences of her actions, and it is only fitting that she pays back the $164,000 she stole from the IRS.
The IRS is responsible for collecting taxes and ensuring that individuals and businesses pay their fair share. When individuals, like Hernandez, steal from the IRS, it is a betrayal of the public trust and undermines the integrity of the tax system.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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