Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Providence woman who tried to get fraudulent tax refunds by filing false tax returns was sentenced in federal court Monday to time served, ordered to pay restitution and to surrender for deportation.

Josefina Lorenzi, 47, who has been imprisoned since her Dec. 11 arrest last year, was sentenced by Judge William E. Smith in U.S. District Court, Providence, according to a news release from acting U.S. Attorney Luis M. Matos.

Lorenzi pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme to get fraudulent checks by filing false returns that used other names but her home address. Lorenzi must surrender for deportation while on supervised release, under the sentence. She is an illegal immigrant, according to Thomas Connell, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Rhode Island.

Prosecutor Andrew J. Reich said at the March plea hearing the government could show that, in December, Lorenzi went to a check cashing store employee to try to cash federal income tax refund checks. Lorenzi asked the employee to come to her Indiana Avenue home.

The store owner notified federal agents, who monitored a conversation between Lorenzi and the employee -- Lorenzi said she would be getting more refund checks from fraudulently filed tax returns, according to authorities.

On Dec. 10, Lorenzi went to the check cashing store and gave the employee an $8,885 refund check payable to someone else's name. The employee, working with federal agents, went to Lorenzi's home and gave her $8,885 in cash. Lorenzi gave the employee two more refund checks to cash, for $2,722 and $2,725, both payable to names of other people.

Using a search warrant, agents said they found at Lorenzi's home eight more refund checks totaling $22,526, payable to other names. Agents later found 27 more false returns.

Taking in the total of $9,785 that Lorenzi received -- including a $900 simulus check she cashed -- and the additional refund requests and prepared checks found in her home, the total money fraudulently sought came to $150,360.

 Tags  courts crime Providence RI

Comments

db said:

Why was she released at all, she should have just been deported. Anyone who thinks she is going to pay that money back and then surrender to be deported is crazy. The amazing part of this story is that there is nothing in the computer system of the IRS that flagged these large returns all going to the same address!! Makes me wonder what would have happened (or not happened) if the check cashing employee hadnt reported it.

Link | July 27, 2009 5:32 PM
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Joe said:

YO ! special clergy group and BS RhodeIsland
politicians ,note illegal !!!again!!!we are tired
very,very tired !!!the majority is yelling at you!!

Link | July 29, 2009 6:42 AM
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