A Bergen County man was sentenced today to 24 months and two days in prison for his role in a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns in victims’ names in order to obtain tax refunds to which he was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Emmanuel A. Barrientos-Fermin, 39, previously pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2020 through February 2020, Barrientos and others conspired to utilize stolen personal identifying information (PII) to submit fraudulent tax returns in victims’ names in order to obtain tax refunds without the victims’ knowledge or consent.
A conspirator would obtain falsified Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, birth certificates and W-2s bearing the victims’ stolen PII and provide them to Barrientos-Fermin and other, who would use them to file tax returns at various tax preparation company branches posing as the victims.