SAN DIEGO (CN) - A suburban San Diego tax preparer was arrested Monday and charged with stealing IDs from more than 200 people to get more than $1 million in fraudulent refunds from the IRS.
Arrested on Tax Day was Cynthia Lozano, 31, of Lemon Grove, who owned an operated CLozano Income Tax in Spring Valley. Both are suburbs of San Diego.
"Lozano targeted over 200 victims by filing fraudulent IRS Forms 1040 in the taxpayers' names," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. "Frequently, the taxpayers were unaware that Lozano used their Social Security numbers thus also becoming victims of aggravated identity theft. As a result, Lozano improperly received over $1 million from the IRS in fraudulent refunds which she laundered through a bewildering maze of bank accounts.
"Using the proceeds of this fraud, Lozano, among other things, purchased 20 properties in and near Phoenix, Arizona."
A 33-count grand jury indictment seeks forfeiture of all those properties, among other things. She is charged with wire fraud, tax fraud, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
She was arrested in Phoenix, where she was to appear in court today, prosecutors said.
Read the Top 8
Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday.
Additional Reads
-
Psychologist charged with identity theft finds sympathy at high court February 27, 2023 -
House committee releases Trump's tax returns December 30, 2022
-
House committee votes to release Trump's tax returns December 20, 2022 -
Supreme Court to examine the scope of identity fraud November 10, 2022