NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia Beach man sentenced for his involvement in his wife’s $31 million-plus counterfeit coupon fraud scheme has been denied an early release from prison.
Pacifico Talens’ motion for a compassionate release was denied Thursday in Norfolk U.S. District Court.
Talens, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty in April 2021 to one count of mail fraud, argued seven months into his sentence that his medical conditions were “extraordinary and compelling” reasons to warrant the release. He said his treatment for an autoimmune disease increased his likelihood of contracting COVID-19 and being seriously ill.
However, the court found his medical conditions, which include psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and high blood pressure, were not sufficient for early release and “the defendant has offered no evidence that his immune system is in fact compromised or that his conditions are being poorly managed at FCI Petersburg, such that he is particularly susceptible to contracting severe illness from COVID-19.”
The court also ruled that Talens’ “lengthy criminal history weighs against his premature release, as the sentence imposed was specifically designed to afford adequate deterrence to further criminal conduct and promote respect for the law.”
Court documents cite Talens’ “lengthy criminal history,” including theft of government property, two DUIs and assault and battery of a family member.
Talens’ wife Lori Ann meanwhile was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the scheme, one of the largest coupon fraud schemes in U.S. history, prosecutors said. Authorities say Lori Ann, who went by “MasterChef,” was the mastermind of the scheme and Pacifico would help ship the coupons to those who subscribed to their service.
When the FBI raided the couple’s home in Virginia Beach, agents said they found coupons “in every crevice of the house.”
“Coupon fraud is not a harmless crime. Lori Ann Talens and her husband operated an audacious fraud scheme that stole more than $31 million directly from retailers and manufacturers,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, after Lori Ann was sentenced. “The FBI investigates these matters aggressively because this kind of fraud ripples through the economy, and unfortunately it is the innocent consumer that ultimately pays the price.”