A couple who owned a Littleton tax-preparation business pleaded guilty Thursday to falsifying tax returns using fabricated and stolen identities.
Wilma Hau and Remigio Rafael Hau Chi, both 39, filed 138 bogus tax returns from the business they co-owned, Yucatan Tax Services, receiving $430,753 in refunds.
“Some of the money was used to purchase and pay off the mortgage of their Rampart Way residence,” said prosecutor Patricia Davies.
They each face up to 10 years in prison when they are sentenced Feb. 3.
Javier Martinez, the owner of Martinez Inc., a Littleton check-cashing business, told investigators that on several occasions, Rafael Hau Chi brought clients to him and asked him to cash their checks.
“At some point,” according to a court document, “Rafael started coming into Martinez Inc. alone with federal refund checks made payable to various individuals and asked Martinez to cash the checks. Because the individuals listed on the checks were not present, Martinez was hesitant to cash the checks, but Martinez acquiesced and cashed the checks.”
Near the end of 2011, Martinez noticed that one of the checks Rafael Hau Chi brought to be cashed was made out to someone that he knew was in Mexico, according to the document.
Martinez became suspicious and refused to cash any more checks.
Federal agents later searched the tax-preparation office located at the back of Los 3 Reyes, a Mexican restaurant Rafael Hau Chi owned, and found Mexican identification cards, Colorado driver’s licenses, copies of refund checks, and Social Security cards in the names of individuals other than the couple or their restaurant employees.
