THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 23, 1994 TAG: 9409230548
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
A tax preparer accused of preying mainly on the Hispanic community and using the alias Carlos Garcia was indicted Thursday on 13 felony counts, including defrauding clients and a credit union of more than $70,000.
The federal grand jury also indicted the man, whose real name is Fernando Zapico, on charges of falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen and of illegally possessing two revolvers.
Zapico, 68, is a native of Argentina. He was previously indicted in South Carolina on charges of defrauding four banks of more than $50,000. He has not been seen in Hampton Roads since November 1993.
The indictments stemmed from a joint investigation by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service.
If Zapico is convicted of all charges, he could face up to 110 years in prison and a fine of up to $3.75 million, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury.
The indictment accuses Zapico of:
Embezzling about $33,500 from four clients who gave him the money to pay federal taxes.
Defrauding the Amphibious Base Federal Credit Union in Virginia Beach of $24,500.
Forging signatures on clients' federal tax refund checks totaling $6,422.
Using four counterfeit credit cards for purchases totaling $8,642.
Zapico worked for several years as tax preparer Carlos Garcia and won the trust of many in the local Hispanic community. He was president of the pastoral council of the Hispanic Apostolate, a ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond.
He operated the Eastern Tax Service on Parliament Drive in the Kempsville section of Virginia Beach. Among those he is accused of defrauding are the Hispanic ministry and Woodland Avenue Baptist Church in Norfolk.
KEYWORDS: FRAUD ARREST INDICTMENT by CNB