Citizens Bank Manager Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Identify Theft Scheme

A Stoneham bank supervisor was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on Monday for his involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme in which he opened bank accounts to receive fraudulent proceeds.

Carlos Mauricio Gonzalez, 30, of Revere, opened business and personal bank accounts that were to receive proceeds from stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF), but instead filed fraudulent income tax returns using other people’s identities while working as the supervisor of Citizens Bank in Stoneham.

Gonzalez opened bank accounts and withdrew SIRF revenue in cash amounts below $10,000. He also directed other Citizens Bank employees, who were unaware of the scheme, to withdraw the proceeds.

Gonzalez was involved in opening 32 bank accounts that received a total of $402,897 from December 2011 to April 2012. He collected $14,000 from this scheme, according to the indictment.

The Citizens Bank supervisor was ordered in U.S. District Court in Boston to pay $326,802 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Gonzalez was sentenced to one count of conspiracy to convert public money. He pleaded guilty to the charges on Nov. 13 2013.

The case was investigated by the IRS and Gonzalez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton.

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