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A TAX CASE FOR MONTEL?

September 08, 2006

An indictment in San Diego tells a story worthy of a lurid afternoon talk show. A Stephen Padroena is accused of using a dual identity to evade taxes; he may also have used his Mexican persona to steal his sister's inheritance. From a news account:

Now, federal prosecutors accused the Chula Vista man of using his double identities to avoid paying taxes.

An indictment handed up by a federal grand jury accused Steven Pedroarena of bribery, bank fraud and three counts of tax evasion.

Nieders said, "The whole purpose of using twin identities is to basically not pay taxes in the U.S."

Well, maybe not just to evade taxes:

Leslie Pedroarena and her brother inherited the family’s expansive land holdings after their parents died in a plane crash.

The land holdings included coastal property and homes at Punta Banda, and the 1,600-acre Tecate ranch in Rancho San Valentin.

But Leslie Pedroarena said she recently learned her entire family used their Mexican identities to take her inheritance, which was a share of the ranch near Tecate.

I don't think that family plans to get together for Thanksgiving.

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