An Allentown couple is accused of filing more than a hundred false pandemic-related unemployment claims and hundreds of false tax returns, schemes through which they sought $3.2 million in government funds.
Charges were filed Thursday, May 25, against Jose Baez and his wife, Jessenia Cordero, according to online court records.
Baez’s attorney, Michael Huff of Philadelphia, didn’t immediately return an emailed message seeking comment. No attorney was listed for Cordero. She could not be reached for comment.
Baez and Cordero allegedly used stolen identities to file at least 316 fraudulent federal tax returns, for which they allegedly sought $1.8 million in tax refunds. They filed the returns through the company JB Multiservices, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office. Baez owns the company and Cordero is an employee, the release says.
Another 674 false tax returns were allegedly filed by Baez, Cordero and two unnamed conspirators, the release says. The news release doesn’t say how much was sought in tax refunds for these claims.
The criminal complaint says the couple filed 168 fraudulent pandemic-related unemployment claims. It says they received debit cards mailed to addresses in Allentown and elsewhere from which they obtained more than $1.4 million in benefits.
Government investigators allegedly uncovered lists of identities and other incriminating documents during a search July 6, 2022, the news release says.
Baez and Cordero were each charged with conspiracy to commit fraud against the U.S. government, conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Allentown office, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Mary A. Futcher are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.
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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
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