Posted on 04/17/2013 6:25:48 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
Ex-IRS agent sentenced to prison in murder-for-hire plot
A former IRS agent who opened a tax preparation business was sentenced Friday to nearly 24 years in prison for defrauding clients out of more than $11 million and then attempting to hire a hit man to kill four of them.
Steven Martinez, 51, of Ramona was sentenced in San Diego federal court to 286 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered by District Court Judge William Hayes to forfeit all the property, including a home in Mexico, and other possessions that he purchased with clients' money.
When his clients discovered his fraud, some threatened to go to authorities, according to prosecutors. Martinez tried to hire a hit man to kill four of them but the person he tried to hire went to the FBI.
In a conversation taped by the FBI, Martinez told the would-be hit man that he would give him $100,000 if he "eliminated the lady in Rancho Santa Fe and the lady in La Jolla."
Martinez pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, witness tampering, mail fraud, filing false tax returns, Social Security fraud, identity theft and money laundering.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Joseph Orabona called Martinez "a cool and calculating individual" who carefully planned the murder scheme and suggested the hit man use a weapon with a silencer.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Heh ... it sounds like this former IRS agent was just utilizing his government trained skills to parlay a lucrative private scheme for himself; if he had simply remained on the Treasury payroll he likely would have been promoted to Regional Administrator, Southwest Directorate.
It’s a start....
ohmigoodness, that’s some story!
I work in the tax prep business and I assure you, there have been no such shenanigans where I work.
I guess this guy just didn’t want to work for a living, he wanted to commit fraud and kill people instead. Because that’s easier.
A former IRS agent who opened a tax preparation business was sentenced Friday to nearly 24 years in prison for defrauding clients out of more than $11 million and then attempting to hire a hit man to kill four of them... Steven Martinez, 51... was sentenced... to 286 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered by District Court Judge William Hayes to forfeit all the property, including a home in Mexico, and other possessions that he purchased with clients' money.He should have been given the choice of hanging or firing squad.
You are too kind. Really, Civ. You’re too kind.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.