Brockton Woman Charged with Theft of Government Funds in Connection with Stolen $931,000 Tax Refund Check

BOSTON - A Brockton woman has been arrested and charged with stealing a nearly $1 million United States Treasury tax refund check.

Lana Ruel, 70, was charged with one count of theft of government funds. Ruel was arrested today and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.

According to the charging documents, Ruel attempted to deposit a United States Treasury tax refund check issued to a healthcare company in Brooklyn. Prior to the attempted deposit, Ruel allegedly incorporated a company in Massachusetts in the same name as Company A and then opened a bank account in the name of the victim company. After the attempted deposit, the bank froze Ruel's account. Ruel then allegedly called the bank and said that she could "explain what the check was, where it came from, and what it's for…"

It is further alleged that, over the past two years, Ruel created four additional companies in Massachusetts that do not appear to have a legitimate business purpose. With respect to one of those companies, Ruel allegedly opened an account at each of approximately eight different banks. Ruel also allegedly received wire transfers in some of the accounts and then wired the funds to different accounts or made cash withdrawals. The banks have closed all these accounts.

The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.