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Nipomo woman sentenced to federal prison for tax fraud

July 22, 2014

irs fraudA Nipomo woman received a three-year federal prison sentence Monday for her role in several tax fraud schemes. [Tribune]

Imelda Sanchez, 42, pleaded guilty in Feb. 2013 to one count of making false claims against the government and one count of making false statements on a loan application. IRS investigators claim that Sanchez, who was working as a bookkeeper and tax preparer in Santa Maria, falsified tax returns in order to collect refunds and acquire a construction loan.

Between 2005 and 2009, Sanchez filed 39 fake tax returns using names and social security numbers of relatives. She collected $125,000 in false refunds, according to the IRS.

In 2007, Sanchez overstated her income on false personal tax returns in order to acquire a $1.6 million construction loan from Santa Lucia Bank. Santa Lucia since merged with Mission Community Bank.

Sanchez must now pay more than $485,000 in restitution to the IRS and Mission Community Bank.

She is scheduled to begin her prison sentence on Sept. 26.


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You can sneak across the border illegally you can use the tax collecting agency of America to pursue your political enemies, you can send assault weapons across the border, you can change laws without the aid of elected representation. You can break FEC laws to win elections but you had better not try and cheat Uncle Sam or you will go to jail!!!!!!!!!!!


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Many of you or I do not know the situations or circumstances. There are many criminals out there that continue to commit crimes over and over. Because these crimes are not against the “right” individuals, a slap on the hand is all they receive. This woman will lose more than her freedom, yes maybe you all believe that she should go to prison, but just the thought of losing her children, family, friends and everything else in her life is more punishment than most repeat criminals will ever receive. The justice system is backwards and scary. I for one will send prayers to her and her family.


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We and our children and grandchildren are financing all of this tax fraud with our taxes. Since the government is forced to borrow to finance the deficit, our grandchildren will pay most of the bill. Every American born today will owe more than $250,000 to pay the debt. It adds up to a permanent decline in the standard of living when you and in student loan debt and reductions in government programs and services. Look at the situation across much of Europe and you see a vision of America’s future.


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Glad to see them set an example but this is small potatoes. This is going on all over the country particularly with the illegals and even prisoners (that’s right). Problem is that the IRS doesn’t have a system to verify that a W2 form is legitimate prior to issuing the payment indicated on the 1040. Just how difficult should it be to verify something like that in the payment system before issuing a check? Punch in the Employers tax ID and verify that the Employee name, SS# and Fed Taxes were paid. It’s a simple cross reference with the quarterly 940’s regardless of whether the year end W3’s have been recorded yet.


Typical “gubmint”, so much for the best and the brightest.


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Your hatred of anything and everything “Government” is duly noted; I do wish you good luck in getting help with private contractors when you need to report something to the police or having private firefighters show up at your home should you ever have the need ….


As for “small potatoes” and tax fraud, how about going after those who shelter millions of dollars off-shore and avoid (illegally) paying taxes on their incomes?


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Phoenix has private firefighting service and they do as good of a job as the government employees and save the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.


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Cindy may have overstated the degree of government incompetence in her last sentence but her main point is valid none-the-less. I don’t know whether the IRS’s problems arise from incompetent management (especially in the area of buying/updating computer systems which is common throughout government) or from incompetent employees or from underfunding by a Congress that wants them crippled. I suspect all three may be in play but mostly poor management.


You are correct about the need to go after the billions (not millions) in off-shore tax shelters but that requires support from a congress that is partially owned by those same tax dodgers. It would also require a higher degree of competence than is needed to chase after the relatively small-time crooks like Sanchez.


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Hatred (?) NO


Frequent frustration and at times outright DISGUST, yes..


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Having worked for the government I can tell you that there are plenty of competent individuals.


Unfortunately, like rotten fish, the unqualified cronies are the ones that rise to the top of the lake.


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