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| Highlights - 2004 Archive |
Individual Arrested for Threatening to Mail a Bomb to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Revenue Officer
On December 8, 2004, an individual was arrested in the Western District of Michigan for corruptly interfering with the due administration of internal revenue laws, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7212(a). According to the Criminal Complaint, the individual allegedly threatened to mail a bomb to an IRS Revenue Officer who was performing his official duties regarding the individual's outstanding federal tax liability.
Individual Pleads Guilty to Theft of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Grant Funds
On November 30, 2004, an individual pled guilty in the Northern District of Ohio to theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641. According to the Plea Agreement, the individual falsely obtained IRS grant funds under the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program by representing himself as the finance director of a non-profit organization. Once the grant was obtained, the individual continued to provide false information to the IRS, including the submission of false expense reports seeking reimbursement for non-existent volunteers. The individual received over $16,800 in grant funds for his scheme.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Access of Tax Information for Private Financial Gain
On November 29, 2004, an IRS employee pled guilty in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to unauthorized access of information from a government computer system for private financial gain, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1030(a)(2)(B), (c)(2)(B), and (c)(2)(A). According to Court documents, the IRS employee accessed the IRS computer system more than 1,000 times without authority. The IRS employee participated in a scheme with her family and friends in which she made unauthorized accesses to their IRS tax records and caused them to receive inappropriate tax refunds totaling approximately $25,000, which they split with the IRS employee. The Plea Agreement stipulates that the IRS employee is liable for restitution of over $24,000.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States
On November 16, 2004, an IRS employee was sentenced in the District of Maryland for conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7214(a)(4). According to Court documents, the IRS employee participated in fraudulent schemes that involved the filing of federal income tax returns to generate tax refunds to which the filers were not otherwise entitled. In one scheme, the IRS employee accessed confidential taxpayer information and provided it to another individual who used the information to prepare and file a fabricated federal income tax return. The total loss to the United States government exceeded $20,500. The IRS employee was sentenced to 1 month in prison, 9 months home detention, 3 years supervised release, and ordered to pay the IRS over $20,500 in restitution.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Access and Inspection of Tax Returns
On November 30, 2004, an IRS employee pled guilty in the District of Connecticut to unauthorized access of a computer and unauthorized inspection of return and return information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2) and 26 U.S.C. § 7213A(a)(1). According to the Plea Agreement, the IRS employee willfully accessed and inspected an individual's tax returns without a legitimate business purpose and without proper authorization, knowing that the unauthorized inspection of return and return information was in violation of federal law and IRS policy.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Indicted for Theft of U.S. Government Money
On November 30, 2004, an IRS employee was indicted in the Western District of Tennessee for conspiracy and theft of U.S. government money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 641. According to the Indictment, the IRS employee and a co-conspirator allegedly stole over $14,000 of IRS money for personal gain and benefit. The IRS employee and co-conspirator allegedly converted the money by cashing postal money orders totaling over $3,200, depositing $11,575 into a joint checking account they opened and withdrawing $6,200 from the account.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Examiner Indicted for Unauthorized Disclosure and Inspection of Returns and Return Information
On November 9, 2004, an IRS Tax Examiner was indicted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for unauthorized disclosure and inspection of returns and return information, in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 7213(a)(1) , 7213A(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1)). According to the Indictment, the IRS Tax Examiner willfully disclosed without authorization the returns and return information of four individuals and willfully inspected without authorization the returns and return information of ten individuals.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Arrested for Unauthorized Inspection of Returns or Return Information
On November 15, 2004, an IRS employee was arrested in the Eastern District of California for fraud and related activity in connection with computers and unauthorized inspection of returns or return information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2)(B) and 26 U.S.C. § 7213A. According to the Criminal Complaint, the IRS employee allegedly made 3,334 accesses to the IRS' computer system and inspected the tax returns and tax return information of 179 taxpayers without authorization from the IRS. The Criminal Complaint further alleges the IRS employee admitted to accessing the tax accounts of friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances without having an official IRS business reason to do so.
Individual Charged With Possession and Negotiation of IRS Taxpayer Remittance Checks
On November 16, 2004, an individual was indicted in the Northern District of Texas for receiving and concealing government property, bank fraud, and false representation of a Social Security Number, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641, 1344, and Title 42 U.S.C § 408(a)(7)(B). According to the Indictment, the individual conspired with others to devise a scheme to defraud several banks. The individually allegedly deposited a $16,605.00 stolen tax remittance check into a business bank account he opened using a false Social Security account.
Former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Over $11 Million in Fraud
On November 9, 2004, a former IRS employee was indicted in the Western District of Texas for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud, and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349, 1341, 1343, 1344, and 2. According to the Indictment, the former IRS employee allegedly conspired with her husband and other individuals in a fraudulent scheme to profit from the resale of residential properties by purchasing the properties at fair market value and then reselling them soon thereafter at inflated prices. The Indictment further states the former IRS employee and the other conspirators allegedly obtained loans from mortgage companies and federally insured financial institutions by making false statements in loan applications and real estate documents, resulting in over $11 million in fraud.
Individual Sentenced for Impersonating an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Auditor
On November 15, 2004, an individual was sentenced in the Northern District of California for impersonating an IRS Auditor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 912. According to the Indictment, the individual advised taxpayers that she was an IRS Auditor and could assist them with their IRS audits. The individual obtained over $83,000 from taxpayers by falsely pretending to be an IRS employee. The individual was sentenced to 5 months in prison, 5 months home detention, 1 year supervised release, and ordered to pay over $14,000 in restitution.
Former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Sentenced for Accessing Sexually Explicit Material
On November 4, 2004, a former IRS employee was sentenced in the Northern District of Texas for the importation and transportation of obscene matters, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1462. According to the Plea Agreement, the former IRS employee used his government computer to access and download obscene material on the Internet with the intent of sharing the material with another individual. The IRS employee was sentenced to 14 months incarceration and 2 years supervised release.
Individual Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Involving Credit Repair Schemes
On October 25, 2004, an individual pled guilty in the Eastern District of Missouri to wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. According to Court documents, the individual operated numerous businesses that offered methods to obtain a better credit rating. In one scheme, the individual knowingly accepted customers from third parties who were using Employer Identification Numbers (EIN) obtained from the Internal Revenue Service that were reconfigured to appear to be their Social Security Numbers (SSN) in an effort to conceal their bad credit histories while trying to establish new credit histories. The individual accepted approximately 2,500 customers who were using EINs in place of their true SSNs and charged them an average fee of $200. According to Court documents, the individual agreed to cease operation of his businesses and to pay a $200,000 fine.
Individual Sentenced for Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act
On October 20, 2004, an individual was sentenced in the Eastern District of Michigan for conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d). According to Court documents, the individual, who was the owner of a corporation, conspired with other individuals in racketeering activity to funnel money through his corporation to pay off public officials, including an IRS employee, so that his racketeering activity would remain secret, undetected, and unquestioned. The individual gave the IRS employee a check for $14,900 to purchase a Jeep Cherokee and another check for $3,765, in return for influencing the IRS employee's collection of an outstanding debt owed to the IRS by the individual's corporation. The individual was sentenced to 5 years incarceration, 3 years supervised release, and ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee and Others Indicted for Unauthorized Access of Tax Information
On October 19, 2004, an IRS employee and three other individuals were indicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for unauthorized access of a government computer for private financial gain and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1030(a)(2)(B), (c)(2)(B), and 2. According to the Indictment, the IRS employee allegedly accessed the IRS computer system more than 1,000 times without authority, to obtain information concerning the taxpayer records of her family and friends. The Indictment further alleges the IRS employee and her daughter, son-in-law, and boyfriend agreed to a scheme in which the IRS employee made unauthorized accesses to their tax records and caused them to receive over $23,000 in inappropriate tax refunds, of which they would split with the IRS employee. The IRS employee also allegedly made unauthorized accesses to the taxpayer records of her child's father and caused an inappropriate tax abatement of $2,000.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Charged with Unauthorized Access of Taxpayer Records
On October 21, 2004, an IRS employee was charged in the Eastern District of California with unauthorized access of taxpayer records and unauthorized inspection of returns or return information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2)(B) and 26 U.S.C. § 7213A. According to the Information, the IRS employee allegedly made 31 accesses and inspected, without authorization, IRS' electronically stored taxpayer records.
Internal Revenue Service Employee (IRS) Sentenced for Bank Theft
On October 21, 2004, an IRS employee was sentenced in the Western District of New York for bank theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(b). According to the Plea Agreement, the IRS employee wrote checks against her and her husband's credit union accounts knowing the accounts did not contain sufficient funds to cover the amounts of the checks. The IRS employee deposited the checks written against her account into her husband's account, and vice-versa, then withdrew money from the accounts using automated teller machines (ATM). As a result of the IRS employee's actions, the credit union lost in excess of $22,000. The IRS employee was sentenced to 1 year probation and ordered to pay over $22,000 in restitution.
Individual Sentenced for Mailing a Threatening Letter to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee
On October 25, 2004, an individual was sentenced in the Southern District of California for mailing a threatening communication, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 876. According to the Plea Agreement, the individual sent a letter containing a threat to injure an IRS employee while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties. The Plea Agreement further states the individual enclosed inert white powder in the envelope with the letter. The individual was sentenced to 12 months incarceration, 3 years supervised release, and fined $100.
Conspirators Indicted for Impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employees
On October 14, 2004, four conspirators were indicted in the Eastern District of Michigan for impersonating IRS employees, conspiracy, and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 912, 371, and 1343. According to the Indictment, the conspirators allegedly placed telephone calls to Asian-American individuals and falsely pretended to be IRS employees. The conspirators allegedly told the individuals they were due a refund from the IRS and claimed their refund checks had mistakenly been written in larger amounts of money than was due. The conspirators then advised the individuals the IRS would send them the larger refund checks if they first would wire the difference. The Indictment further states the conspirators received over $3,000 from the scheme.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Indicted for Possession of Child Pornography
On October 13, 2004, an IRS employee was indicted in the Northern District of Texas for possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A. According to the Indictment, the IRS employee knowingly possessed, in a building used and controlled by the United States Government, a computer hard drive that contained more than 600 images of child pornography.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Pleads Guilty to a Scheme to Defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
On October 8, 2004, a CPA pled guilty in the Central District of California to mail fraud and possession of a forged security, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 513. According to the Plea Agreement, the CPA devised a scheme in which he mailed his clients false and fictitious notices of IRS audits and persuaded the clients that they needed him to represent them when he knew the IRS was not reviewing their tax returns. The CPA billed his clients approximately $43,306 for work he claimed to have performed, causing the clients to mail payments to him at commercial mail boxes he rented. The Plea Agreement further states the CPA also received estimated tax payments from approximately three clients and caused the tax payments to be deposited and credited to the IRS tax accounts of corporations he created. He then filed fraudulent income tax returns with the IRS and opened bank accounts in the names of the corporations, resulting in total losses of approximately $86,270 in IRS tax refunds that were mailed to him and deposited into the bank accounts he opened.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Manager Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS of Over $263,000
On October 8, 2004, an IRS manager was indicted in the District of Montana for conspiracy to defraud, obstruction of administrative proceedings, and willful misconduct by an IRS employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 1505, 2 and 26 U.S.C. § 7214(a). According to the Indictment, the IRS manager allegedly supervised and directed the collection of a corporation's unpaid trust fund debt of over $263,000. The IRS manager allegedly continued to manage, supervise and direct the investigation of the trust fund recovery penalty against the corporation's officers and employees, despite his twenty-year relationship with the President of the Board of Directors of the corporation who was a person potentially responsible for the corporation's trust fund recovery penalty. The Indictment further states the IRS manager failed to perform the duties of his office and employment and took steps to prevent the IRS from assessing and collecting the trust fund recovery penalty.
Individuals Found Liable for Over $1.5 million for False Claims Submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
On September 29, 2004, a husband and wife were held jointly liable in the District of Maryland for violating the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729. According to the Court's memorandum opinion ruling on the government's Motion for Summary Judgment, the husband owned and controlled two companies, one that acted as a subcontractor, the other as a middleman, on an IRS contract to repair laptop computers. His wife sat on the Board of Directors of each company. The husband vastly inflated his company's costs, causing the prime contractor to submit overpriced invoices for services to the IRS. The Court found treble damages in excess of $1.2 million and assessed an additional $220,000 in civil penalties, for a total award of over $1.5 million to the government.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Inspection of Tax Return Information
On September, 27, 2004, an IRS employee pled guilty in the Eastern District of California to unauthorized inspection of returns or return information, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7213A. According to the Plea Agreement, the IRS employee made nine different inspections of tax return information of private individuals without authorization from the IRS.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Employee Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Inspection of Return Information
On September, 15, 2004, an IRS employee pled guilty in the Eastern District of California to unauthorized inspection of returns or return information, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7213A. According to the Plea Agreement, the IRS employee willfully accessed the tax return information of six individuals and two businesses without authorization to look at the information contained in the accounts.
Individual Arrested for Causing Damage to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Offices
On September 16, 2004 an individual was arrested in the Western District of Arkansas for willfully causing or attempting to cause damage to government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1361. According to the Criminal Complaint, the individual allegedly broke windows in a Federal government building, including windows in IRS offices located in the building. The individual allegedly broke the windows by throwing stones through them on six different occasions from May 10, 2004 through September 15, 2004.
Individual Indicted for Mail Fraud and Passing Fictitious Financial Instruments
On September 8, 2004, an individual was indicted in the District of North Dakota for mail fraud and passing and uttering fictitious financial instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 514(a)(2). According to the Indictment, the individual allegedly used the United States Postal Service to send false and fictitious instruments to credit card companies, entitled "Sight Draft", "Sight Order", or "Money Order" to establish a credit line and to pay credit card bills. The individual allegedly sent the credit card companies three "sight drafts" and two "money orders", totaling over $275,000, that were "purportedly drawn on an account at the United States Treasury."
Individual Charged in Theft of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Taxpayer Remittance Check
On September 15, 2004, an individual was charged in the Northern District of Texas for theft of government money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641. According to the Criminal Complaint, the individual allegedly received a stolen taxpayer remittance check in the amount of $20,279 that was mailed to the IRS Dallas Lockbox. The Criminal Complaint further alleges that the taxpayer remittance check had been altered and deposited into a bank account opened by the individual.
Individual arrested for mailing threatening letters to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
On September 15, 2004, an individual was arrested in the District of Connecticut for mailing threatening letters to the IRS, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 876. According to the Criminal Complaint, the individual allegedly sent several letters to the IRS that contained threats to injure individuals, including the President of the United States.
Individual sentenced for impersonating an IRS employee
On September 17, 2004, an individual was sentenced in the District of Minnesota for impersonating an IRS employee and bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 912 and 1344. According to the Plea Agreement, the individual pretended to be an IRS employee, obtained personal identity information from another individual, and used the information to withdraw funds from the individual's bank account. The Plea Agreement further states that the bank frauds and attempted bank frauds totaled between $30,000 and $70,000. The individual was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 5 years' supervised release and was ordered to pay $25,400 in restitution.
Former IRS contract employee pleads guilty to stealing over $231,000 from an IRS Lockbox facility
On September 15, 2004, a former IRS contract employee entered a conditional plea of guilty in the Northern District of Texas to embezzlement by a bank employee and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 656 and 2. According to the Factual Resumé, the former IRS contract employee stole and converted over $231,000 in tax remittance checks from the IRS Dallas Lockbox. The Factual Resumé further states that the individual deposited or attempted to deposit the tax remittance checks into bank accounts opened in assumed names by himself and others.
Individual sentenced for mailing threatening letters to public officials
On September 7, 2004, an individual was sentenced in the District of South Dakota for mailing letters containing a threat, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 876. According to the Indictment, the individual allegedly mailed written communications containing a threat to commit murder. The Indictment also alleged that communications were mailed to a Senator, an Assistant Attorney General, and a Department of the Treasury Special Agent. The individual was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 1 year probation.
Former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee sentenced for stealing checks made payable to the IRS
On September 3, 2004, a former IRS employee was sentenced in the Eastern District of California for stealing checks made payable to the IRS, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 641. According to the Plea Agreement, the former IRS employee knowingly altered checks which were made payable to the IRS, totaling $500, and converted the checks to personal use. The former employee was sentenced to 12 months probation and 100 hours community service and was ordered to pay the IRS $500 in restitution and participate in a mental health treatment program.
Individual arrested for false personation of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee
On September 2, 2004, an individual was arrested in the District of New Jersey for falsely assuming to be an IRS employee and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 912 and 2. According to the Criminal Complaint, the individual, an Immigration Enforcement Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, allegedly was the president of a company that placed foreign-trained specialists at businesses for a fee. A company customer was advised that the IRS had placed a tax lien on the company's accounts payable for overdue taxes owed. The customer then began to pay the IRS all of the fees due to the individual's company. The individual allegedly sent a letter purportedly prepared by an IRS Revenue Agent to the customer, stating that the company was permitted to resume its collection of accounts from the customer because an "Offer and Compromise" had been reached. The customer, believing the individual's company's tax issues had been resolved, and after receiving additional letters allegedly sent by the individual, issued checks to the individual's company totaling $20,500 that were used by the individual for personal use. The Criminal Complaint further stated that the IRS letter was fraudulent in that the IRS did not send the letter to the company.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee sentenced for improperly accessing taxpayers' accounts and causing the issuance of more than $141,500 in improper refunds
On August 9, 2004, an IRS employee was sentenced in the Eastern District of California for making unauthorized accesses to taxpayers' accounts and causing improper refunds to be issued to taxpayers, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2)(B). According to the Plea Agreement, the IRS employee made over 1,500 unauthorized accesses to the IRS tax accounts of taxpayers and made adjustments to taxpayers' accounts, causing improper refunds for the Earned Income Tax Credit of more than $141,500 to be issued to taxpayers. In exchange for generating the refunds, the taxpayers paid the IRS employee a portion of the refunds. The IRS employee was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison and 3 years supervised release and was ordered to pay the IRS over $141,500 in restitution.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee pleads guilty to unauthorized inspection of tax return information
On August 19, 2004, an IRS employee pled guilty in the Eastern District of California to unauthorized inspection of returns or return information, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7213A. According to the Plea Agreement, the IRS employee made 276 different inspections of tax return information of 9 private individuals without authorization from the IRS.
Tax preparer pleads guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return
On August 19, 2004, a tax preparer pled guilty in the District of Maryland, Northern Division, to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2). According to the Plea Agreement, the tax preparer charged clients a fee to prepare their tax returns showing false or inflated deductions to reduce or eliminate a tax liability and to generate or increase a tax refund, totaling tax losses of $134,223. The Plea Agreement further stated that the tax preparer filed 130 IRS Powers of Attorney and Declaration of Representative (Form 2848) falsely representing that he was a certified public accountant, when admittedly he was not, and has failed to file his own income tax returns since 1995.
Individual sentenced for fraud involving client funds and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notices
On August 12, 2004, an individual was sentenced in the District of Massachusetts to fraudulently causing clients' mailing addresses to be changed and preventing the clients from receiving notices from Federal and state taxing authorities, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1341, Mail Fraud. According to the Indictment, the individual allegedly worked as an accountant and directed corporate clients to deposit funds for tax purposes into a "Client Fund" bank account. The Indictment further alleged that the individual used the deposited funds for personal purposes and failed to make timely payments of the clients' tax obligations to taxing authorities. Without the knowledge or consent of the individual's clients, the individual allegedly caused the individual's mailing address to be substituted for that of the clients' with the relevant taxing authorities. As a result of the substitution, the clients failed to receive notices mailed by taxing authorities, notifying them of their respective delinquencies. One client was deceived of approximately $17,000. The individual was sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay over $3,000 in restitution.
Individual arrested for bribing an IRS employee
On August 12, 2004, an individual was arrested in the Eastern District of New York for bribing an IRS employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(1)(A). According to the Criminal Complaint, during an IRS tax audit, the individual made a $3,000 payment to an IRS employee in exchange for the IRS employee reducing the individual's outstanding tax liability for 2 tax years, from approximately $48,000 to over $7,000.
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