Eleven sent to preventive custody for fraud case
FBI agents are the ones acting in the majority of inspections that have been done
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.- The First Court of Instruction in Santiago ordered preventative custody for eleven persons accused of a more than US$100 million fraud against the United States Treasury Department.
Three of the accused were sent to jail while the rest were ordered to house arrest and prohibited from traveling.
Among the persons submitted to these coercive measures were Elvin Quiroz, Alfy Tavarez, Carlos Balbuena and Elvis Balbuena.
According to the investigation carried out jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation the accused cheated the Treasury Department for US$100 million in checks cashed.
Meanwhile, this year the requests for fraudulent tax returns corresponding to tax-year 2008 that have been presented total over US$70 million, but none of the tax return checks were sent because of the fraudulent operation.
The Attorney General of the Dominican Republic, Radhames Jimenez Pena, and Santiago district attorney Raul Martinez, stated that several of the persons accused of the fraud could be extradited if it is proven that they are responsible for committing the crime.
With this in mind, Martinez said that everything would depended on the results of the investigations that are being carried out in the case and of the complaints that are filed by the United States as the injured party. He added that in relation to the case, foreigners that live in Santiago are also being investigated. He said that the United States, as the injured party, is the one who has to ask for persons to be extradited in this case.
The group of Dominicans arrested is accused of filling out forms on the internet that were then printed and sent and sent by email to the United States to get tax returns for payment of excess taxes. In the investigations that are being carried out, FBI agents are the ones acting in the majority of inspections that have been done.
Together with district attorney Martinez, the investigative commission is composed of General Claudio Peguero and Colonel Alejandro Dipre.
Lawyer Victor Breton, who defends several of the accused in the fraud case, said that two of his clients are university students who were allegedly paid on a weekly basis to fill out the forms. Breton pointed out that his clients supposedly were tricked by a person that is currently on the run and who supposedly stole the identity of his defendants through the internet in order to commit the fraud against the U.S. Treasury.
The Attorney General said that this is an international ring that has implications in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the United States.
Meanwhile the authorities from the United States say that an important amount of the fraudulent tax refund requests presented in 2008 were made through the internet from the Dominican Republic. The addresses that appear on the checks are grouped in specific areas.
Three of the accused were sent to jail while the rest were ordered to house arrest and prohibited from traveling.
Among the persons submitted to these coercive measures were Elvin Quiroz, Alfy Tavarez, Carlos Balbuena and Elvis Balbuena.
According to the investigation carried out jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation the accused cheated the Treasury Department for US$100 million in checks cashed.
Meanwhile, this year the requests for fraudulent tax returns corresponding to tax-year 2008 that have been presented total over US$70 million, but none of the tax return checks were sent because of the fraudulent operation.
The Attorney General of the Dominican Republic, Radhames Jimenez Pena, and Santiago district attorney Raul Martinez, stated that several of the persons accused of the fraud could be extradited if it is proven that they are responsible for committing the crime.
With this in mind, Martinez said that everything would depended on the results of the investigations that are being carried out in the case and of the complaints that are filed by the United States as the injured party. He added that in relation to the case, foreigners that live in Santiago are also being investigated. He said that the United States, as the injured party, is the one who has to ask for persons to be extradited in this case.
The group of Dominicans arrested is accused of filling out forms on the internet that were then printed and sent and sent by email to the United States to get tax returns for payment of excess taxes. In the investigations that are being carried out, FBI agents are the ones acting in the majority of inspections that have been done.
Together with district attorney Martinez, the investigative commission is composed of General Claudio Peguero and Colonel Alejandro Dipre.
Lawyer Victor Breton, who defends several of the accused in the fraud case, said that two of his clients are university students who were allegedly paid on a weekly basis to fill out the forms. Breton pointed out that his clients supposedly were tricked by a person that is currently on the run and who supposedly stole the identity of his defendants through the internet in order to commit the fraud against the U.S. Treasury.
The Attorney General said that this is an international ring that has implications in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the United States.
Meanwhile the authorities from the United States say that an important amount of the fraudulent tax refund requests presented in 2008 were made through the internet from the Dominican Republic. The addresses that appear on the checks are grouped in specific areas.
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