Man Who Conspired With Andover Lawyer Convicted In Federal Court

ANDOVER, MA — A federal jury convicted a Dominican national who helped an Andover attorney launder more than 100 fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks Monday. Francisco Oscar “Frank” Grullon, 52, was convicted of conspiracy, 15 counts of theft or conversion of United States property, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering after a six-day trial. Grullon, who was arrested in the Dominican Republic and extradited to the United States in 2018, will be sentenced July 24.

Grullon and R. David Cohen of Andover filed false tax returns and W-2 statements in the names of residents of Puerto Rico, where residents are not required to file federal income tax returns. The two then had refund checks sent to addresses in Lawrence, East Boston and New York. The two deposited close to $1 million into bank accounts.

Cohen was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to 4 1/2 years in federal prison.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).