BOSTON — Helcio Sperandio, 52, owner of Aquarelle Painting & Services in Chelsea, has been arrested and charged in a five-year scheme to evade over $2.3 million in federal taxes and fraudulently obtain $377,500 in COVID-19 loans.
A federal grand jury in Boston indicted Sperandio on charges including filing false tax returns, tax evasion, and wire fraud. He will appear in federal court today at 2 p.m.
Court documents allege that from 2018 through 2022, Sperandio cashed hundreds of customer checks instead of depositing them into business accounts. He reportedly provided incomplete bank statements to his tax preparer, who then filed underreported corporate and individual tax returns, allowing Sperandio to evade $2,309,466 in taxes.
During the pandemic, Sperandio allegedly obtained a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the SBA with false revenue figures and a false certification of legal compliance. He later obtained an additional $277,500, some of which he allegedly used to start a new real estate company, violating EIDL rules.
Federal penalties for these charges range from 3 to 20 years in prison, fines, restitution, and supervised release, depending on the offense.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, IRS-CI Boston SAC Thomas Demeo, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil is prosecuting the case.
The DOJ’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force continues to investigate pandemic-related fraud. Anyone with information can contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud.
Sperandio is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
