Local man pleads guilty to $2.9 million in tax fraud

A 41-year-old local businessman pleaded guilty to theft of government funds Wednesday after he was accused of cashing hundreds of stolen or fraudulent tax-refund checks worth nearly $3 million.

Angel Marchena Suazo, who owned Don Angel Multi-Services LLC in Brownsburg, faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He agreed to make restitution of $2.9 million as part of his plea agreement. No sentencing date has been yet been scheduled.

Internal Revenue Service investigators say Suazo, through his tax-services and check-cashing business, cashed approximately 800 stolen or fraudulent tax-refund checks between July 2012 and April 2013, depositing about $2.9 million in his business accounts.  

Investigators said Suazo would typically repay the sources of those checks in cash while keeping 15 percent of the amount for his services.

Beginning in 2014, Suazo also began submitting fraudulent tax returns. He submitted nearly 100 returns seeking almost $227,000, but received only about $21,000 after the IRS discovered problems with the returns and denied payment.