Marien Torres-Acevedo, Defrauding the Government, Pennsylvania 2021

A shocking case of defrauding the government has led to a 38-year-old Allentown woman being sentenced to 75 months in prison. Marien Torres-Acevedo, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was found guilty of conspiring to defraud the government and committing aggravated identity theft.

According to the investigation, Torres-Acevedo and her conspirators obtained fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks by stealing victims' identities and using those stolen identities to file false tax returns that generated significant refunds. The scheme resulted in losses of between $550,000 and $1.5 million to the United States government.

The scheme, which took place between January 2015 to July 2016, involved Torres-Acevedo and her conspirators securing the fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks and cashing them at various check cashing businesses, including several in Pennsylvania.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Robert D. Mariani highlighted the losses caused to the United States government by the scheme, and the number of victims whose identities were stolen to file false tax returns. Torres-Acevedo was also held accountable for fabricating social media communications that threatened her and her family and providing them to investigators, who were able to trace the communications back to Torres-Acevedo.

Torres-Acevedo was sentenced to 75 months in prison, which is equivalent to approximately 6.25 years. She was also ordered to pay $857,729.65 in restitution. Torres-Acevedo faces deportation at the conclusion of her sentence.

Torres-Acevedo's codefendants, Francisco Rodriguez-Polanco and Julio Polanco Suarez, both pleaded guilty to similar offenses. Rodriguez-Polanco was sentenced to 54 months of imprisonment, while Suarez awaits sentencing. Another coconspirator, Alfred LiPuma, was previously sentenced to three years of probation and paid $2.1 million in restitution and fines.

The matter was investigated by the Department of the Treasury's Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspectors, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

Torres-Acevedo's sentence is a significant blow to those who would seek to defraud the US government. Her case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting taxpayer dollars and the consequences of those who would seek to steal from them.

The case is a reminder that those who engage in such activities will be held accountable for their actions. Torres-Acevedo's sentence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors who work tirelessly to bring these cases to justice.

Torres-Acevedo's case is a prime example of the devastating impact that identity theft and financial crimes can have on individuals and society as a whole. Her sentence serves as a warning to those who would engage in similar activities.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/allentown-woman-sentenced-75-months-imprisonment-and-must-pay-over-857000-defrauding