JACKSONVILLE, Florida — A couple from Orlando has been sentenced for their roles in a multi-million dollar tax and wire fraud scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Rene Mauricio Escobar, a 55-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Ecuador, received a sentence of four years and nine months in federal prison. Juana Nelida Escobar, a 36-year-old legal permanent resident from Mexico, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The court ordered them to pay $37,174,388 in restitution to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes.
The Escobars pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2025, with Juana Escobar’s conviction likely leading to her deportation from the United States. The couple’s fraudulent activities spanned from December 2015 through August 2024, involving their company, Escobar Plastering, which facilitated the payment of construction workers “off the books” to evade payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance premiums…