The U.S. Attorney’s office announced on Monday, the indictment of an Anchorage Woman on 28 counts of Making False Tax Claims.

58-year-old Pepe Anetipa, who moved from American Samoa in July of 2011, would move ahead quickly with her alleged scheme. Anetipa obtained a business license in the state just seven months after her arrival and started up Triple-H Tax and Services.

Using her knowledge that American Samoans are issued Social Security numbers, but are not required to file tax returns on monies made in American Samoa, Anetipa used information on American Samoan Wage and Tax Statements (Form W-2AS) and transferred that information onto Form W-2. She then changed the addresses of American Samoans in that territory to addresses in Texas and Alaska.

With these alterations in place, Anetipa filed the altered forms with the tax returns she prepared. The false tax returns showed with-holdings that took place in the U.S. rather than in American Samoa, when in fact this was not so claims the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Using this method, the Justice department said that Anetipa defrauded the federal government $202,859 in the form of refunds not due.

Anetipa was arrested in Washington state on December 18th. She pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charges. Her trial is set for February 9th, 2015.

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