NIGERIAN GETS 47 MONTHS FOR TAX REFUND SCHEME
Matthew Okonkwo, 59, a Nigerian national who had been residing in Dothan, Ala., was sentenced to 24 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and eleven counts of aiding in the preparation of fraudulent income tax returns.
Upon completion of his sentence, Okonkwo will face deportation proceedings.
Convicted by a jury on Nov. 1, 2006, Okonkwo owned Eagle Financial Services, a tax preparation business in Dothan
Eagle electronically filed 11 tax returns for the tax year 1999 that falsely claimed that the taxpayers had been employed by CJB Ice Cream in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Many of the returns also listed children and foster children that were not the true children of the taxpayers. The false statement qualified the taxpayers for the Earned Income Credit, and as a result refunds were issued to which the taxpayers were not entitled.
Okonkwo did not tell the taxpayers the true amount of the refunds, giving them a small amount in cash.
The IRS issued a total of $45,508 in refunds as a result of this scheme.
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Tags: conspiracy to defraud, FALSE TAX RETURNS
