Tewksbury woman charged with tax and unemployment fraud | #phishing | #scams | #hacking | #aihp

TEWKSBURY — A woman has been charged in federal court with tax and unemployment fraud for allegedly embezzling more than $1.8 million from her employer and collecting unemployment insurance while employed full-time.

Joanne Dinoto, 47, also known as Joanne Mara, was originally indicted in November on one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The new superseding indictment includes an additional count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return, according to a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins.

Citing the charging document, Rollins’ office said Dinoto allegedly stole more than $1.8 million from her employer, a flooring company in Acton, between December 2013 and April 2020 by falsely inflating her compensation, using her employer’s corporate credit card for personal expenses and forging at least two checks to herself from her employer’s checking account. She allegedly modified the company’s accounting records to hide the scheme.

In addition, between August 2020 and May 2021, Dinoto allegedly collected unemployment benefits from the state under her true Social Security number while also working full-time for a Wilmington lighting company under a fake Social Security number.

Dinoto also allegedly did not report more than $1 million in funds she embezzled from the Acton company, as well as her wages from the Wilmington company, on her federal income tax returns.

Bank fraud is punishable up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.

Filing a false tax return is punishable up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.