By: ABQ RAW staff
POSTED: 1/25/2023 @ 5:45PM
New Mexico U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez, center, speaks to the media about the conviction of George Martinez. Also in the picture is FBI Special Agent in Charge, Raul Bujanda, right, and left, is Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña.
On Tuesday, a former high level New Mexico Tax and Revenue department employee named George Martinez was formally sentenced to 94 months in federal custody for tax fraud. Federal prosecutors from the New Mexico held a press conference at the office of Alex Uballez. Also in attendance was Raul Bujanda FBI Special Agent in Charge of New Mexico and assistant US Attorney Jeremy Pena. The trio held a press conference to announce the plea deal and sentencing of tax cheat George Martinez.
The crimes happened while George Martinez was chief of the Questionable Refund Unit for the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. His job basically meant he was responsible for making sure tax returns were above-board.
According to federal documents, between 2011 and 2018, he admitted he was altering taxpayer information on returns and having bogus refunds deposited into his own personal accounts. The federal documents said he would use the ill gotten money to gamble at local casinos.
Martinez’s restitution will be paid back to the state of New Mexico and the federal government once he is released in several years.
See the full press conference click above: