A Lawrence woman who fled the U.S. after being charged with fraud and identity theft has pleaded guilty to stealing over $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, among other schemes, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Luz Paulino, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in federal court last week, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a press release. She was initially charged in December 2019 and indicted by a grand jury in January 2021, but fled the U.S. while on pretrial release and remained a fugitive until authorities in Panama returned her to the U.S. after 19 months.
Paulino is the former owner and operator of Agape Financial Services — a Lowell-based tax prep and notary service company, the U.S. attorney’s office said. In early 2020, she filed false and fraudulent 2019 federal tax returns using …