A New Bedford woman has admitted to stealing federal funds by filing false tax returns to obtain fraudulent refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Valentina Martinez, 50, pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024, to five counts of theft of government money. Senior U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris has scheduled her sentencing for March 6, 2025.
Court documents reveal that Martinez was employed by a national tax preparation service. She prepared tax returns for clients and provided them with copies but then added fraudulent business deductions without their knowledge. She electronically filed these altered returns to secure fraudulent refunds, which were deposited onto debit cards she used for ATM withdrawals and personal expenses, including a vacation in Florida. Her scheme came to light when a client complained about a missing refund, leading to her termination. By that time, Martinez had filed at least 12 false returns resulting in over $45,000 in losses to the IRS.
This case is part of the Stolen Identity Refund Project (SIRF), an IRS initiative aimed at identifying tax preparers who use stolen identities to file fake tax returns and claim refunds without the taxpayer's knowledge.
The charge of theft of government money carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. It also includes a potential fine of $250,000 and restitution payments to the IRS. Sentences are determined by the federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in Boston Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Victor A. Wild from the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting this case.