Pilar Rose, a 51-year-old former resident of Fresno, was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of tax evasion and obstruction of an IRS audit, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Rose has been ordered to forfeit proceeds exceeding $2.5 million from the sale of her mansion and BMW, both of which were seized by authorities. According to court records, between 2012 and 2015, Rose submitted false financial statements related to her husband’s orthodontics practice, leading to the evasion of over $870,000 in federal taxes.
In early 2016, Rose obstructed an ongoing IRS audit by altering checks related to nondeductible personal expenses, converting them into deductible business expenses. She forged financial statements to align with these altered checks, attempting to mislead IRS auditors about the true financial standing of her husband's practice.
Furthermore, in June 2015, Rose attempted to secure a $1.5 million home mortgage refinance, during which she presented falsified tax returns showing inflated income figures than actually reported. After a bank uncovered these discrepancies, her application was rejected.
Undeterred, Rose sought a second $1,475,000 home mortgage refinance from another bank in July 2015. She misrepresented her and her husband’s finances, claiming their accounts held over $250,000 despite having less than $3,000. The exaggerated financial documents facilitated the loan approval, leading to substantial undeserved financial gain. The authorities eventually seized their residence on Van Ness Boulevard.
In September 2017, Rose extended her fraudulent activities by purchasing a new BMW sedan worth around $90,000. She financed the vehicle by falsely identifying herself as an attorney earning over $600,000 annually and used another individual's Social Security number to bolster her creditworthiness. The approval of this fraudulent loan resulted in her obtaining more than $65,000 improperly.
This investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation, with the case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton, Michael Tierney, Alyson Berg, and Kevin Khasigian.