DALLAS - Jose Dominguez Berroa, aka “Ana Maria Rodriguez," “Martha Vargas," and “Michelle Dominguez," of Dallas, appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan to one count of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Berroa faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison, and a $250,000 fine. The defendant could also be ordered to pay restitution. Berroa will remain on bond pending sentencing, which is set for April 4, 2018.
Co-defendant Rufus Kimangi Kariuki is scheduled to begin trial on April 23, 2018.
According to the plea agreement factual resume, from February 2012 through December 2012, Berroa and others opened several bank accounts in and around Dallas using false alias names and fraudulent passports. During this time Berroa and others filed approximately 18 fraudulent tax returns and obtained fraudulent refunds totaling at least $314,932 from the IRS.
After the fraudulent tax refunds were deposited into the bank accounts, according to the factual resume, Berroa used debit cards to purchase money orders at local stores and would give the blank money orders to Kariuki. Kariuki then distributed blank money orders to Berroa and to others who participated in the scheme.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
