Broward Man Sentenced To Prison For Identity Theft Fraud Scheme
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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A man who operated a number of tax preparation business in Broward was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for an identity theft fraud scam.
Julio Lugo, 38, had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to his prison sentence, Lugo was given three years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $280,000 in restitution.
Lugo operated various tax preparation businesses including #1 Tax Specialist, The Number One Tax Specialist, and Number Two Tax Specialist.
Lugo used an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) from another tax prep service, Light House Refund, to file 48 phony tax returns, using stolen identities, and received thousands in tax refunds.
Co-defendant Jamar James was sentenced to two years of probation. James previously pled guilty to one count of making a false statement to a federal agency.