Syracuse, NY – Elaine Monique Zavala-Charres, 34, of Phoenix, Arizona, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Utica, New York, for her involvement in a mail fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme that defrauded the IRS out of over $260,000.
According to officials, Zavala-Charres, along with her codefendant Lacey Hollinger, 27, from Massena, New York, targeted local residents by falsely claiming they were eligible for tax refunds through a non-existent U.S. Government ‘stimulus program.’ The duo convinced unsuspecting victims to provide their personal identification information, which was then used to fabricate fraudulent tax returns.
Several dozen Massena area residents fell victim to the scheme, receiving pre-paid debit cards from Hollinger and Zavala-Charres. Many of the victims got nothing in return, while the defendants pocketed most of the refund money.
‘Identify theft and false income tax filings are two crimes that are increasingly affecting the public,’ stated United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. ‘The most important thing for citizens to remember is to never give their personal identifying information out to people they don’t know or who shouldn’t need that information.’
Lacey Hollinger has also pled guilty to the same charges and will be sentenced on March 5, 2015. Zavala-Charres faces a maximum sentence of up to twenty years for mail fraud and a fine of up to $250,000, in addition to restitution. She also faces an additional mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
The sentencing hearing for Elaine Monique Zavala-Charres is scheduled for June 10, 2015, where she could be sentenced to up to three years of supervised release following her prison term.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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