FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 5, 2009
CONTACT: AUSA Craig Gabriel
PHONE: 503-727-1107
Salem, Oregon Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Filing a False Claim for an Income Tax Refund
Fraudulent Tax Refunds Received by Defendant and Others Residing in Salem, Medford, Woodburn and Elsewhere in Oregon Exceeded $500,000
Portland, Ore. – Luciano Ramos DeLeon, of Salem, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty to 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ramos pleaded guilty in May 2009 to one count of filing a false claim and one count of failure to appear.
DeLeon created a scheme to file false income tax returns using stolen identities. DeLeon fabricated identification documents, such as false birth certificates, to apply for and obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (“ITINs”) for himself and others. He also fabricated fraudulent W-2 forms that falsely reported earned wages that he did not earn. DeLeon then filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), seeking refunds based primarily on child tax credits for the non-existent children for whom he obtained false ITINs.
DeLeon recruited dozens of people, from all over Oregon, including Medford, Woodburn, and Salem, to participate in this scheme. In fact, DeLeon filed over 100 tax returns on behalf of other individuals, using false ITINs and W-2’s that he fabricated. Many of those individuals also obtained fraudulent refunds. The total loss to the IRS, in terms of actual fraudulent tax refunds received by DeLeon and others he recruited, exceeded $500,000. He was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS.
Defendant DeLeon was arrested in Texas in the summer of 2000 for offenses involving the sale and manufacture of false immigration documents. He was subsequently indicted in federal court in Texas for eight felony offenses, and was released on bond. In December 2000, DeLeon failed to appear in court for a hearing and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. DeLeon made no further appearances in the case; but instead, took up residence in Oregon under a false identity, avoiding detection by law enforcement for several years.
“When people abuse our tax system, all Americans are victimized,” said Kent S. Robinson, the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Applying for false refunds is not only unfair, it’s illegal. The IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to prosecuting tax offenders.”
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig J. Gabriel.
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Monday, October 5, 2009
CONTACT: AUSA Craig Gabriel
PHONE: 503-727-1107
Salem, Oregon Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Filing a False Claim for an Income Tax Refund
Fraudulent Tax Refunds Received by Defendant and Others Residing in Salem, Medford, Woodburn and Elsewhere in Oregon Exceeded $500,000
Portland, Ore. – Luciano Ramos DeLeon, of Salem, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty to 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ramos pleaded guilty in May 2009 to one count of filing a false claim and one count of failure to appear.
DeLeon created a scheme to file false income tax returns using stolen identities. DeLeon fabricated identification documents, such as false birth certificates, to apply for and obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (“ITINs”) for himself and others. He also fabricated fraudulent W-2 forms that falsely reported earned wages that he did not earn. DeLeon then filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), seeking refunds based primarily on child tax credits for the non-existent children for whom he obtained false ITINs.
DeLeon recruited dozens of people, from all over Oregon, including Medford, Woodburn, and Salem, to participate in this scheme. In fact, DeLeon filed over 100 tax returns on behalf of other individuals, using false ITINs and W-2’s that he fabricated. Many of those individuals also obtained fraudulent refunds. The total loss to the IRS, in terms of actual fraudulent tax refunds received by DeLeon and others he recruited, exceeded $500,000. He was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS.
Defendant DeLeon was arrested in Texas in the summer of 2000 for offenses involving the sale and manufacture of false immigration documents. He was subsequently indicted in federal court in Texas for eight felony offenses, and was released on bond. In December 2000, DeLeon failed to appear in court for a hearing and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. DeLeon made no further appearances in the case; but instead, took up residence in Oregon under a false identity, avoiding detection by law enforcement for several years.
“When people abuse our tax system, all Americans are victimized,” said Kent S. Robinson, the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Applying for false refunds is not only unfair, it’s illegal. The IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to prosecuting tax offenders.”
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig J. Gabriel.
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