Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Wasserman (619) 546-8431
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - March 9, 2016
SAN DIEGO - Cecilia Hernandez pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $164,000 from the Internal Revenue Service - despite owing the agency for back taxes that she had failed to pay.
Hernandez admitted that she sent the IRS more than a half million dollars in worthless checks written on closed accounts. The checks were ostensibly intended to pay off a tax debt which Hernandez owed from previous years. The checks (written in 2011 and 2013) were for amounts far greater than the tax debt and triggered a series of fraudulent refunds. In all, Hernandez wrote more than $525,000 in bad checks to the IRS, which resulted in her obtaining over $164,000 in the form of fraudulent refunds. Among other things, Hernandez spent her illicit proceeds on a $33,000 Chrysler 300 and an extravagant Quinceañera for her daughter costing more than $40,000.
As part of her plea, Hernandez agreed to restitution of the funds stolen from the IRS. Hernandez will appear for sentencing on June 14, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia.
DEFENDANT: Case Number 16CR247-AJB
Cecilia Hernandez Age: 46 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 641-Theft of United States’ Money
AGENCIES
Internal Revenue Service
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
