
A Kissimmee businessman, Edwin Rivera, has pleaded guilty to a sizable theft of government funds, as reported by the United States Attorney's Office. Rivera, caught in a fraudulent scheme between October 2023 and July 2024, could face up to a decade in federal prison, a sentence that has yet to be determined.
The scam involved stealing corporate identities to file bogus tax returns with the IRS, successfully swindling the government out of over $2.7 million in unwarranted tax refunds. These refunds were meticulously mailed to Rivera, who then promptly deposited the checks into various bank accounts that he and his partners in crime controlled. In a plea agreement, Rivera admitted to unlawfully obtaining at least four fraudulent tax refunds, totaling $2,741,581.74.
According to a statement released by the United States Attorney's Office, the ploy was discovered through the combined efforts of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman is in charge of prosecuting Rivera.