BOSTON, March 27, 2017— Eleven days after an arrest warrant issued for his failure to appear in court, a former tax preparer faced arraignment on charges he filed false tax returns that cost Massachusetts taxpayers thousands of dollars, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RAFAEL HUERTAS, Jr., (D.O.B. 2/27/85) of Lawrence was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court this afternoon on six counts of presenting a false claim upon a public agency, six counts of delivering a fraudulent document, two counts of willfully assisting in preparation of a fraudulent return, and single counts of willful failure to file a tax return, identity fraud, and money laundering.  Huertas had been summoned to appear for arraignment on March 16 but failed to show up in court.  As a result, a default warrant issued for his arrest. 

Upon his appearance in Suffolk Superior Court today, Huertas was taken into custody.  Assistant District Attorney George Barker of the DA’s Special Prosecutions Unit requested bail of $10,000; Clerk Magistrate Edward Curley released Huertas on his own recognizance.

Following an investigation by Suffolk prosecutors specializing in financial and white collar crime and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, a Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments charging Huertas with filing false tax returns on behalf of himself and others. 

Barker told the court that Huertas filed tax returns under his own name containing forged or falsified information for 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, resulting in greater refunds than he was entitled to receive, and failed to file a 2014 tax return.  In addition, while working for a tax preparation service for a period during 2012 and 2013, Huertas allegedly used the personal information of one prior client of the company to open a bank account and file a fraudulent tax return, obtaining an additional refund without the client’s knowledge or consent.  He also entered false information on tax returns for two clients, each of whom received larger refunds than they were entitled to as a result.

As a result of the fraudulent returns, Huertas received more than $9,500 in excessive tax refunds; the clients received more than $2,800 in undue refunds, prosecutors said. According to prosecutors, Huertas allegedly attempted to defraud the Commonwealth and its taxpayers of more than $36,000 in refunds that were not issued.

Huertas was represented by Arnold Abelow.  He returns to court May 12.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.