Eight individuals have been charged in connection with a federal investigation into the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in Massachusetts. The defendants are accused of stealing tax refund checks totaling over $8.8 million during 2023 and 2024, altering them to be payable to shell companies under their control, and depositing these fraudulent checks at financial institutions around Metro Boston.
The individuals charged include Gino Rosario Tyler Alexander Allegra from Brockton, Eric Banks from Quincy, Jesse El-Ghoul from Leominster, Nnamdi Opara from Woburn, Gurprit Singh and Amarpreet Singh from Framingham, Lonnie Smith-Matthews from Hyde Park, and Domingo Villari also from Framingham. They face charges ranging from theft of government funds to bank fraud.
Banks, El-Ghoul, G. Singh, Opara, Smith-Matthews, and Villari are currently in federal custody and will appear in Federal Court in Boston. Allegra and A. Singh remain at large.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “As alleged, these defendants stole millions in tax refunds owed to hardworking Americans and used Massachusetts businesses and community banks to defraud the U.S. Treasury.” She emphasized that such actions are not victimless crimes and vowed commitment to combating fraud within the federal tax system.
Thomas Demeo of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Boston Field Office remarked on the growing issue of Treasury check theft impacting all Americans: “Today’s arrest demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting all instances of Treasury check theft.”
Michael Carpenter of TIGTA highlighted their dedication to protecting the integrity of the nation’s tax administration system: “TIGTA’s mission is to protect the integrity of our nation’s tax administration system.”
Charges for theft of government funds could result in up to 10 years in prison along with fines and supervised release terms. Bank fraud charges carry potential sentences of up to 30 years in prison.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Foley alongside officials from IRS Criminal Investigation and TIGTA. The Needham Police Department provided valuable assistance with prosecutions led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil and Brian Sullivan.
All details mentioned are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
