Law Enforcement | WPN World People News

A federal grand jury in New Orleans, Louisiana, returned an indictment charging three Louisiana residents with conspiracy to defraud the IRS, on March 26. One defendant, Matthew Reck, was additionally charged with making a false statement to federal agents, and the other defendants, Dawn Farrell Ruiz and David Farrell, were charged with aiding in the preparation of false returns.

A federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, returned an indictment charging a Bloomfield Hills businessman with tax evasion on March 24, attempting to obstruct the internal revenue laws, making a false statement, and willful failure to file his own individual income tax return.

A Montana businessman pleaded guilty to employment tax fraud, on March 24.

According to court documents, Thomas O’Connell owned and operated three plumbing businesses, Quality Plumbing and Heating, Orbit Plumbing and Heating, and Orbit PHC, each based in Great Falls. From at least 2005 through 2016, O’Connell did not pay employment taxes for several quarters, despite being obligated to ensure such taxes were paid to the IRS.

A doctor, formerly of Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty to willful failure to pay employment taxes, on February 12, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Two Louisiana tax preparers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, on February 10, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Lucia Andrea Gatta, a former resident of Palm Beach County, Florida, with tax evasion and failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARs), among other offenses, on February 10, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida.

A federal grand jury in Durham, North Carolina, returned an indictment charging a tax preparer with conspiring to defraud the United States, preparing false tax returns, filing a false personal tax return, and committing aggravated identity theft, on January 26, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.

A former government contractor was sentenced for his role in a bribery and kickback scheme where he paid bribes to secure U.S. Army contracts, on January 15.

The manager of the San Diego Home Cooking restaurant chain pleaded guilty to employment tax fraud, on January 13, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer Jr. for the Southern District of California.

A Rhode Island man was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion, on January 8, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman for the District of Rhode Island, and Special Agent in Charge Kristina O’Connell of IRS Criminal Investigation.