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Yezenia Castillo, 47, will have to serve at least 85% of her sentence -- a few months over four years -- because there's no parole in the federal prison system.
From 2012 through 2021, Castillo "falsely claimed to be a CPA who could provide various financial and accounting services to non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey, including private schools and religious institutions," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said on Thursday, March 21.
"Castillo was not a CPA and never provided any of these promised services," he added.
Among the victims was a Jersey City nonprofit elementary and intermediate school that hired Castillo -- also known as "Yezenia Maldanado" -- to handle tax accounting and preparation.
The unidentified school gave Castillo $195,000 to pay its federal business taxes for the years 2016 through 2018, but she pocketed it instead, federal authorities said.
Castillo also charged the school $8,100 for services she never rendered and stole an additional $8,000 from its bank account, a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark says.
Rather than face the potential outcome of a trial, Castillo took a deal from the government, pleading guilty last April to wire fraud and tax evasion.
In addition to the prison term, U.S District Judge Susan D. Wigenton sentenced Castillo in Newark on Thursday to three years of supervised release.
The judge also ordered restitution of $3.25 million and forfeiture of $3.25 million.
Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General and IRS – Criminal Investigation with the investigation leading to the plea and sentencing, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of his Economic Crimes Unit.
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