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A 34-year-old Bellport man pleaded guilty to falsifying tax returns and stealing money from an auto repair shop that was intended to cover the business’s New York state tax obligations.
Fabian Delgado admitted that while he was working as a tax preparer for an auto body shop in Patchogue, he intentionally underreported the business' gross sales to the state, fraudulently reducing its tax liability, according to Suffolk County prosecutors.
Delgado ​used the shop’s bank account to pay the lower tax amounts and pocketing the difference between the underreported taxes and the actual amount owed, prosecutors said.
Over the course of 16 transactions, Delgado stole $260,687 from the business owner, who believed the money was being sent to the state for tax payments.
Prosecutors say Delgado spent the stolen funds on OnlyFans subscriptions, mortgage payments, credit card bills, airline tickets, food and his own income taxes.
He pleaded guilty Monday to grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing.
He is expected to be sentenced to 364 days in jail on each charge, to be served consecutively.
Delgado has already repaid $56,000 and will be required to pay the remaining $204,687 in restitution as part of his sentence.