Mother and Daughter Sentenced for Tax Convictions
A mother and daughter have both been sentenced for tax convictions.
Patricia Servin Zavala and her daughter, San Juanita (Janie) Pena, pleaded guilty last May to an indictment charging one count of conspiracy to commit tax fraud and false statements, as well as 94 counts of substantive tax fraud and false statements.
Zavala was sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison, and Pena will serve more than 4 years in prison for their roles. Both will also pay a $10,000 fine.
The women were also ordered to pay $411,395 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Zavala was the office manager for Z&Z Bookkeeping and Tax Service in Lubbock. The women prepared false tax returns, claiming more than $411,000 in fraudulent refunds.
Pena and Zavala told taxpayers that their refund would be a certain amount, which was usually substantially less than what was actually reported on the return.
They would then tell the customer to file for a refund anticipation loan, so they could receive their refunds quickly, and return a portion of the income tax refund to them.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Zavala and Pena would often forge the taxpayer’s signatures on the RAL checks, and cashed them at Huber’s Pawn Shop.
More From KFYO
American Red Cross’s Bill Curnow Discusses Relief Efforts After Moore, Oklahoma Tornado [AUDIO]
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s David Guenthner Says Budget Is Nowhere Near Completed In Final Week Of Texas Legislative Session [AUDIO]
Chad’s Morning Brief: Latest From the Texas Legislature, Oklahoma Tornado, & More
Leave a Comment