NASHVILLE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment last month charging Darwing Dubon-Castro, 32, and Josselyn Zamora-Carranza, 28, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Carlos Rodriguez, 22, of Antioch, Tennessee, with conspiracy to commit fraud and to defraud the United States and passing forged United States Treasury checks. Dubon was also charged with wire and mail fraud and aggravated identity theft related to the filing of fraudulent federal income tax returns, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Defendants Zamora-Carranza and Rodriguez were arrested on October 26 and made appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Defendant Dubon-Castro was arrested and made his initial appearance yesterday.
According to the indictment, from February 2019 to October 2023, the defendants conspired to fraudulently obtain tax refunds from the IRS by filing tax returns using others’ stolen identities and false wage information. The indictment alleges that Dubon filed these tax returns with the IRS and directed the IRS to send the refunds to himself and his co-defendants. As a result of their scheme, the defendants defrauded the IRS of more than $1.5 million.
After receiving the tax refund checks, Dubon, Zamora, and Rodriguez used forged identification documents so that they could cash the tax refund checks. During the execution of search warrants, federal agents found over 100 such false identifications.
If convicted, Dubon faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the fraud charges and a mandatory 2 years in prison for the aggravated identity theft, and Zamora and Rodriguez each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All defendants also face a $250,000 fine on each count.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell T. Galloway is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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