Lynn trio sentenced in fraud case

LYNN-Two Lynn women and a Lynn man were sentenced Tuesday in federal court for conspiracy and filing $200,000 worth of false tax returns using stolen identities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.Esther Arias, 30, Esther Parcel, 48 and Edwin Gonzalez, 35, all former residents of 23 Rockmere Gardens, were sentenced to prison terms by U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock.Between February 1999 and April 2004, the trio stole other people’s identities to file 45 fraudulent tax returns. They illegally claimed more than $200,000 in federal and state tax refunds and received more than $130,000 in refund checks before they were busted by the Internal Revenue Service.Arias was sentenced to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She must pay state and federal tax authorities $70,148 in restitution.Percel, the mother of Arias, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised released. She must pay $69,592 in restitution.Gonzalez, who was Arias’ boyfriend at the time of the crimes, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He must pay $64,664 in restitution.Percel pleaded guilty to her charges on Oct. 1. Arias and Gonzalez were convicted on Nov. 1 after an eight-day jury trial.