$9.7M Fraud: Salinas Woman Guilty Of Filing Fake Tax Returns

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A Salinas woman has pleaded guilty to conspiring to file fraudulent claims for more than $9.7 million in tax refunds, prosecutors said.

Ana Bajo, 43, also known as Ana Covarrubias, entered the plea Wednesday and now faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary
penalties, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Alex Tse.

In 2012, Bajo conspired with others to obtain personal information from victims, using it to file more than 2,300 fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, according to documents and information provided to the court.

The returns reported fake wages and fraudulently claimed dependents, education expenses and tax credits, prosecutors said. In total, the returns sought approximately $9.7 million in refunds, and the IRS paid more than $7.5 million, prosecutors said.

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Bajo and her co-conspirators directed the fraudulently obtained refund checks into bank accounts they controlled, according to prosecutors.

A federal grand jury indicted Bajo in July 2017, charging her with conspiracy to submit false claims. In Wednesday's plea agreement, Bajo pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bajo's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock