Two Lawrence Men Arrested For Stealing U.S. Treasury Tax Refunds

BOSTON - Two Lawrence men were arrested today for stealing more than $210,000 in U.S. Treasury tax refunds.

Robert A. Montero, 39, and Wilson R. Santana, 36, were charged with 30 counts of stealing U.S. Treasury tax refunds contained in U.S. Treasury checks that had been fraudulently obtained by filing false tax returns with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The indictment alleges that between November 2011 and February 2012, Montero worked as a bank teller at the Metro West Credit Union in Lawrence where, for a fee, he assisted Santana in negotiating these fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks in the bank accounts associated with Santana. In addition, Santana is charged with four counts of possessing fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks containing U.S. Treasury tax refunds with intent to convert the tax refunds for his own use.

If convicted, Montero and Santana face up to 10 years in prison on each count, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Steven D. Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Chief John Romero of the Lawrence Police Department, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maxim Grinberg of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.