Local Gang Members Caught in IRS Fraud Scheme

 BRADENTON – Members of a local gang were arrested and charged with ”Organized Scheming to Defraud“ and identity theft after investigators with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office traced deposits from fraudulent tax returns filed under stolen Social Security numbers to their bank accounts. Further details of the case are provided in the MCSO arrest report below: 

Detectives have arrested Leticia Salas (DOB/10-23-1981) and Lucina Santana-Gonzalez (DOB/04-11-1986) and charged them with Organized Scheming to Defraud (several victims throughout the State of Florida who had IRS tax returns filed under their names and Social Security numbers) and four (4) counts of Identity Theft.  

Justino Santana (documented member of the East Side Crips) will be charged with the same offences once he is brought back to Manatee County from FDOC custody. Salas and Santana-Gonzalez are sisters of Santana.  This case was done in conjunction with the Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSWP) and deals with Santana providing stolen Social Security numbers to Salas and Santana-Gonzalez so that they could file fraudulent income tax returns.  

Investigators found that Santana provided Salas and Santana-Gonzalez with stolen Social Security numbers and then Salas and Santana-Gonzalez would fill out fraudulent IRS tax returns. When the IRS tax refunds checks came back Salas and Santana-Gonzalez would then cash them at their local bank.  

Investigators were able to trace some of the IRS refund checks as they were cashed thru their local bank accounts. Investigators placed the amount of those tax return checks to total approximately $17,000.00. However, the investigators say that the amount was much probably much higher as the parties involved were cashing IRS checks at various business locations throughout Manatee County, where those transactions couldn’t be verified or traced.  

This investigation shows that even when in custody, gang member’s activities can adversely affect the community.