Law Enforcement | WPN World People News

A federal grand jury sitting in Miami, Florida, returned an indictment on Tuesday, April 10 charging a Miami, Florida, certified public accountant with tax evasion, failing to file tax returns and failing to pay over payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida.

Former Puerto Rico Senator Hector Martinez Maldonado and Juan Bravo Fernandez, the former president of Ranger American, one of the largest private security companies in Puerto Rico, were each sentenced to 48 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a bribery scheme involving the passage of legislation beneficial to Bravo Fernandez’s business, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, on April 12th.

A Newark man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for filing false tax returns and structuring cash payments to avoid reporting requirements, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced on April 11th.

A Farmingdale, New Jersey, on April 11th, man admitted perpetrating a long-running scheme to defraud investment clients out of millions of dollars, forging an attorney’s signature without authorization in connection with that scheme, and preparing false tax returns for his clients, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

A Durham, North Carolina, tax return preparer was sentenced to 121 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and preparing fraudulent tax returns for herself and her clients, on April 11, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.

A federal grand jury sitting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, returned an indictment charging a Pittsburgh-area certified registered nurse anesthetist with five counts of tax evasion and four counts of failure to file federal income tax returns and pay federal income tax, on April 10, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Zhelyaz Andreev, 29, a Bulgarian national, was arrested pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice based on an Indictment charging him with: conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Government and substantive violations of the Syria Trade Embargo as enforced through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); and the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) designation of Syrian Arab Airlines, aka Syrian Air, as a Specially Designated National (SDN) whose assets are blocked and with whom U.S. nationals are prohibited from transacting business.

It’s that time of year again: tax season. The Justice Department would like to remind the public during this time of year that evading your tax obligations could end badly, with substantial fines and penalties, and even long prison sentences.

Three New York residents were indicted in two separate indictments for providing cash bribes to an employee of the U.S. Department of the Navy to make unauthorized liquor purchases at a Navy Exchange (NEX), on April 10, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

A federal court in San Diego has permanently barred Melissa Lang (formerly known as Melissa Ann Vega) from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced on April 10. In its complaint, the government alleged that Melissa Lang operated tax return preparation businesses called “L&T Works” and “Lang Works, LLC” and fraudulently reduced her customers’ tax liabilities by improperly claiming a variety of deductions and education tax credits.