The victim handed over at least $150,000, believing the money would be transferred to the IRS, but the woman allegedly spent it on personal expenses. Sandra Vega, 48, of Pecos, has now pleaded guilty to five federal charges in connection with the fraud scheme, which operated for nearly eight years, according to a November 9 announcement by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). A New Mexico woman impersonated an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent and convinced a victim that he would receive a large sum of money from the US tax agency if he first paid various fees and deposits.
In her plea agreement, Vega admitted that she posed as an Internal Revenue agent between 2018 and March 2026 to defraud a man identified in court documents as John Doe. She persuaded him that he was entitled to receive a substantial payout from the IRS but needed to pay several fees and deposits before the money could be released.
The victim made payments totalling at least $150,000, expecting that Vega would forward the amount to the federal tax agency. At sentencing, Vega faces a maximum prison term of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000 and an order to pay restitution to the victim.
However, prosecutors said none of the money was ever sent to the IRS. Instead, Vega used the funds for her personal expenses. The amount of restitution will be determined by the court. However, Vega has not yet been sentenced, and the final punishment will be decided by the court. In a separate warning about tax-related scams, the agency has highlighted how fraudsters exploit the possibility of receiving large refunds or credits to convince people to share personal and financial information or pay upfront fees. The US government’s consumer protection guidance similarly warns that impersonation scams often involve individuals claiming to represent official agencies, businesses or other trusted organisations. Their objective is to gain a victim’s confidence before requesting money or sensitive information. Vega’s case involved a victim who continued making payments over several years in the expectation of receiving a large government payout. With her guilty plea, the case now moves towards sentencing, where the court will determine the prison term, financial penalty and restitution owed to the victim.
The case was announced by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, along with officials from the IRS Criminal Investigation division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The charges stem from her use of a fabricated government identity to persuade the victim to transfer money under false pretences. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.