Fresno orthodontist’s wife indicted on $400K tax fraud, other financial crimes
A Fresno woman who managed her husband’s orthodontics practices in Hanford, Fresno and Madera is accused of evading more than $400,000 in taxes.
Pilar Rose, 58, is charged in federal court with tax evasion, obstructing an IRS tax audit, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, said acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.
If convicted on all charges, Rose faces up to 40 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines. She may also have to forfeit her luxury home on Van Ness Boulevard north of Sierra Avenue.
In a federal jury indictment, federal investigators describe a complex scheme that relied on altered documents, lying and false accounting.
As the office manager for her husband’s practice, Rose also took care of the couple’s finances, including filing their tax return. But in 2014 when Rose reported to the Internal Revenue Service their taxable income was $0 and the amount of tax due was $21,452, it was a lie, according to the indictment.
“Rose then and there well knew, their joint taxable income for the tax year 2014 was the sum of $568,840, upon which joint taxable income there was owing to the United States of America an income tax of approximately $206,227,” the indictment states.
Authorities allege she also shortchanged the government in 2015 when she under-reported their income as $214,077, and the amount of taxes they owed as $80,722. The IRS said the true amount was a taxable income of $757,811, and taxes owed were $207,251.
During an audit of their tax returns in 2016, Rose is accused of altering copies of checks from their Wells Fargo bank account and fraudulently modified Quick Books software records. She also allegedly altered financial records to make personal expenses appear to be deductible business expenses.
To obtain a $1.4 million home mortgage refinance loan in 2015, Rose lied on the application about how much they had in savings, authorities said. She told the mortgage lending company they had approximately $195,000 and $98,000 in two separate accounts.
The combined balance in those accounts at the time their application was submitted was less than $3,000, according to the indictment.
Federal officials said Rose also is accused of using an acquaintance’s Social Security number to get a car loan of more than $65,000 to buy a new 2018 BMW sedan. She also told the lender she was an attorney and that she earned $50,000 per month and $600,000 per year.
She is not an attorney and did not earn $50,000 per month or $600,000 annually, according to the indictment.
