FREEPORT, N.Y. (FOX26) — Damaris Beltre, 57, of Freeport, was charged with wire fraud, aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Beltre allegedly prepared hundreds of fraudulent tax returns, which resulted in losses totaling approximately $12 million to the IRS and the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported. Beltre was the owner of three corporate entities—Botanica El Poder De San Miguel, L&D Tax & Multi Service Corp., and D&L Tax Service.
As the business owner, Beltre falsely claimed dependents and fabricated tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 sick leave and fuel tax credits, according to the authorities. She allegedly collected over $1 million in fees from clients, which included a percentage of fraudulent tax returns.
In one incident, an undercover federal agent sought Beltre’s tax services. Instead of owing $205 to the IRS, Beltre falsely claimed the agent was owed a refund of $14,243 and charged the agent $2,200 in fees.
Beltre also allegedly filed fraudulent tax returns on behalf of former clients without their knowledge to secure refunds. The scheme resulted in approximately $11 million in reduced tax liabilities.
Additionally, Beltre submitted false payroll reports and tax returns to obtain about $1 million in PPP loans, which she used for personal expenses, including paying for a house in the Dominican Republic, purchasing a Honda CR-V, and withdrawing more than $226,000 from various business accounts.
