Former Internal Revenue Service agent Steven Martinez of Ramona today (April 12) was sentenced to 286 months (almost 24 years) in prison for defrauding clients, then plotting to have four of them killed to keep them from testifying against him. He had pleaded guilty in August to criminal charges including murder-for-hire, witness tampering, mail fraud, identity theft, money laundering, and Social Security fraud. The person whom he solicited to kill the four clients reported the offer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and agreed to cooperate. A meeting between Martinez and the cooperating witness was videotaped by the FBI. Martinez admitted to stealing more than $11 million in clients' tax payments.
Former Internal Revenue Service agent Steven Martinez of Ramona today (April 12) was sentenced to 286 months (almost 24 years) in prison for defrauding clients, then plotting to have four of them killed to keep them from testifying against him. He had pleaded guilty in August to criminal charges including murder-for-hire, witness tampering, mail fraud, identity theft, money laundering, and Social Security fraud. The person whom he solicited to kill the four clients reported the offer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and agreed to cooperate. A meeting between Martinez and the cooperating witness was videotaped by the FBI. Martinez admitted to stealing more than $11 million in clients' tax payments.