Yezenia Castillo was charged with wire fraud and tax evasion, and pleaded guilty to stealing over $1.5 million from more than 100 victims, primarily non-profit organizations, private schools, and religious institutions.
From 2012 to 2021, Castillo falsely claimed to be a CPA and used various methods to steal from her clients, including collecting fees for services she never performed and transferring client funds to herself without authorization. She also collected money from clients by falsely claiming it would be used to pay their taxes, but instead kept the funds for herself. To cover up her fraud, Castillo told victims that she had filed and paid their taxes, and falsified receipts to make it appear as if the taxes were paid.
One of the non-profits she worked for, an organization that provides affordable housing to individuals in New Jersey, accused Castillo of issuing checks payable to herself, forging the signature of the board president, and claiming the payments were for legitimate business expenses. She stole more than $33,000 from this organization.
Castillo’s fraud resulted in financial losses totaling over $1.5 million. She faces up to 25 years in prison and fines totaling up to $250,000.
