Two Cuban nationals were sentenced in the Central District of California for their roles in a fraudulent dispute scheme. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, alongside the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
“This conviction highlights our agency efforts to safeguard our economy as well as take dangerous criminals off the street,” stated ICE Homeland Security Investigations acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles Al Rossi. “The El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators who prey on innocent victims and decide to undermine our financial infrastructure are brought to justice and held accountable for their actions.”
Alejandro Munoz and Abel Pena-Garcia, identical twins, were involved in a scheme targeting third-party payment platforms such as PayPal and Square. They were also suspected of defrauding the United States Treasury Department.
Munoz received a sentence of 75 months confinement for Aggravated Identity Theft, with three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $477,396.74 in restitution. Pena-Garcia was sentenced to 41 months confinement for Attempt and Conspiracy, with three years of supervised release.
Individuals with information on financial fraud are encouraged to contact the Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
For more details about ICE HSI’s mission to protect the U.S. economy, follow them on X at @HSILosAngeles.
