Margarita Botti-Nieves, Non-Profit Corporation Embezzlement, Puerto Rico 2022
San Juan, Puerto Rico - A former accountant and agent of a non-profit corporation in Aguada, Puerto Rico was sentenced to two years in prison for a fraud scheme that spanned multiple years.
Margarita Botti-Nieves, a former employee, accountant, and agent of Programa de Apoyo y Enlace Comunitario, Inc. (PAEC), was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa on October 11, 2022, to serve 24 months in prison followed by a supervised release term of three years.
According to court documents, Botti-Nieves willfully evaded the payment of a substantial portion of the employment taxes owed by PAEC to the United States of America from September 2016 to June 2019. The defendant committed several affirmative acts to evade taxes, including causing the submission of false statements to the IRS, providing false information and fraudulent documentation to PAEC, and causing funds to be transferred from PAEC's bank account to different accounts controlled by Botti-Nieves.
“Convictions such as this send a loud and clear message that those who defy our nation’s tax laws will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow.
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigations, United States Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General, AmeriCorps-The Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez prosecuted the case.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration stated, “We appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure this criminal activity is held to account.”
Botti-Nieves was an employee, accountant, and agent of a non-profit corporation that received and administered benefits under various Federal programs involving grants, contracts, and Federal assistance.
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: White Collar Crime,Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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