A New Bedford woman, Valentina Martinez, has been sentenced in a Boston federal court for stealing federal funds through false tax returns. U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris sentenced Martinez to 12 months of supervised release under home confinement, with electronic monitoring for the first six months. Additionally, she must pay $41,823 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In December 2024, Martinez admitted guilt to five counts of theft of government money.
Martinez was employed by a national tax return preparation service where she manipulated clients' tax returns without their knowledge. She added fraudulent business deductions and filed these altered returns electronically to secure false refunds. These refunds were then deposited onto debit cards used by Martinez for personal expenses, including a vacation in Florida. Her scheme unraveled when a client reported a missing refund, leading to her dismissal from the company. By that time, Martinez had filed at least 12 false returns causing over $40,000 in losses to the IRS.
This case is part of the Stolen Identity Refund Project (SIRF), an IRS initiative targeting tax preparers who exploit stolen identities to claim unauthorized refunds from the U.S. Treasury.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation's Boston Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Victor A. Wild handled the prosecution.
