PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The former owner of a Pawtucket market has been sentenced to prison for running an identity theft scheme that brought in $2.6 million in fraudulent tax returns.
A federal judge on Friday sentenced 53-year-old Juan Vasquez of Providence to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
Authorities say Vasquez led a scheme that used 400 stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns over four years. Prosecutors say the scheme was run out of his Dominican Supermarket store and that most of the identities were stolen from residents of Puerto Rico.
His sister, 50-year-old Belkis Vasquez of Central Falls, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced Friday to three years of probation.
Lawyers for the Vasquezes said the sentences were fair.
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