Bergen County woman charged with destroying cell phone to obstruct federal investigations into her husband and herself

Date: Nov. 12, 2024

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Newark, NJ - A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman was charged with destruction of records in a federal investigation, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Jennifer Iturralde Pina of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of destruction of records. Iturralde appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was released on $200,000 bond.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On Oct. 16, 2023, Iturralde's husband, Cesar Humberto Pina, aka "Flipping NJ," also of Franklin Lakes, was charged in the District of New Jersey with wire fraud in connection with a real estate investment fraud scheme. After Pina's release on bond, Iturralde learned that the government received evidence from a witness related to Pina's case. Shortly thereafter, Iturralde asked a friend to tell the witness to stop assisting the Government.

In early March 2024, the government obtained search warrants for two of Iturralde's phones - which the government believed Iturralde used in connection with the real estate fraud scheme and the attempt to discourage the witness from assisting the government - and one phone belonging to the friend. On March 3, 2024, Iturralde tried, unsuccessfully, to hide one of her phones at the friend's home. On March 5, 2024, the friend's family member called to tell Iturralde that law enforcement had just seized the friend's phone. Shortly thereafter, as law enforcement knocked on Iturralde's door to execute the warrant to seize her phones, Iturralde destroyed one of the phones.

The destruction of records charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge in Christopher A. Nielsen; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pesce, Carolyn Silane, and Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charge and accusations against both Iturralde and Pina are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.