Tag:

Tax Fraud

Atlantic Highlands Man Stole $673K+ From Roman Catholic Church: AG Atlantic Highlands Man Stole $673K+ From Roman Catholic Church: AG
Atlantic Highlands Man Stole $673K+ From Roman Catholic Church: AG A 78-year-old Atlantic Highlands man admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from a Roman Catholic church where he served as an officer, authorities announced Friday, May 15. Joseph Manzi pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking and filing a fraudulent tax return, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. He is set to be sentenced to five years in prison, Davenport said. Manzi was the former director of finance, operations, and development for the Church of Saint Leo the Great in Lincroft, Davenport said. After his employment ended in June 2025,  staff reviewed the church’s credit …
OnlyFans, Plane Tickets Among Bellport Tax Fraudster’s Purchases With Client Money, DA Says OnlyFans, Plane Tickets Among Bellport Tax Fraudster’s Purchases With Client Money, DA Says
OnlyFans, Plane Tickets Among Bellport Tax Fraudster’s Purchases With Client Money, DA Says A Long Island tax preparer stole a business’s money and spent it on OnlyFans subscriptions and airplane tickets, authorities said Thursday, May 14. Fabian Delgado, 34, swiped $260,000 from an auto body shop in Patchogue through an elaborate scheme, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. Delgado, of Bellport, began working with the shop in 2021 and continued into 2025, prosecutors said. Each quarter, Delgado correctly calculated the business’s taxes and alerted the owner, later withdrawing the money for the purported purpose of paying New York State, according to investigators.…
$3 Million Fraud: East Orange Man Stole From Medicaid: AG $3 Million Fraud: East Orange Man Stole From Medicaid: AG
$3 Million Fraud: East Orange Man Stole From Medicaid: AG A 63-year-old East Orange man was arrested and charged with stealing more than $3 million from Medicaid by filing false claims, authorities announced Tuesday, Sept. 23. Vicente Lopez ran a psychological counseling service to Medicaid beneficiaries, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. After Joyce Lopez, Vicente’s sister, died in 2021, he took sole control of the company, Platkin said. Lopez billed or directed his employees to bill Medicaid for psychological services for over 34,000 individual claims and received approximately $3.4 million from Medicaid, despite that neither he,…
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind It started with a fake business. It ended with a shootout in broad daylight. Four people are facing federal charges in what prosecutors call the largest COVID-19 tax credit fraud scheme ever identified.  This $93 million operation allegedly involved fake companies, kickbacks, and a botched attempt to silence the ringleader. The sprawling indictment, unsealed in Los Angeles, details an alleged conspiracy to defraud the IRS by submitting false claims for Coronavirus Response Credits.  These federal tax refunds were designed to help small businesses cover sick and family leave wage…
Ex-Aide To 2 NY Governors Accused Of Pocketing Millions In Kickback Scheme In 2nd Indictment Ex-Aide To 2 NY Governors Accused Of Pocketing Millions In Kickback Scheme In 2nd Indictment
Ex-Aide To 2 NY Governors Accused Of Pocketing Millions In Kickback Scheme In 2nd Indictment A former top New York State government official and her husband—already facing charges tied to acting as agents for China—are now accused in a multi-million-dollar kickback scheme tied to the COVID crisis. Linda Sun, 41, a former aide to Govs. Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, and her husband Chris Hu, 40, were indicted on additional charges including wire fraud and bribery by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn on Wednesday, June 25. According to a superseding indictment unsealed this week, Sun falsified information to steer lucrative PPE contracts to two vendors—one run by her cousin and the o…
Paramus CPA Pleads Guilty In $1.3B Tax Scam That Helped Rich Clients Cheat IRS: Feds Paramus CPA Pleads Guilty In $1.3B Tax Scam That Helped Rich Clients Cheat IRS: Feds
Paramus CPA Pleads Guilty In $1.3B Tax Scam That Helped Rich Clients Cheat IRS: Feds A New Jersey accountant faces up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty in a massive tax shelter scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of hundreds of millions of dollars, federal authorities said. Ofer Gabbay, a Certified Public Accountant from Paramus, admitted in court to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelters to high-income clients between 2018 and 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday, June 25. Gabbay worked with other defendants, including Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and their assist…
Ex-Hoboken Official Who Stole Half A Million In Taxpayer Funds For Lavish Life Sentenced Ex-Hoboken Official Who Stole Half A Million In Taxpayer Funds For Lavish Life Sentenced
Ex-Hoboken Official Who Stole Half A Million In Taxpayer Funds For Lavish Life Sentenced A former top Hoboken official who oversaw city recreation programs will spend the next two years behind bars for embezzling nearly half a million dollars from taxpayers, federal officials said. Pantaleo “Leo” Pellegrini, Hoboken’s former Director of Health and Human Services and Director of the Department of Environmental Services, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for embezzling money from the City of Hoboken and filing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said on Tuesday, June 17. Pellegrini had previously pleaded guilty to the charges before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Far…
‘The Magician’ Tax Preparer From Cortlandt Manor Behind $145M Scheme To See Jail Time ‘The Magician’ Tax Preparer From Cortlandt Manor Behind $145M Scheme To See Jail Time
‘The Magician’ Tax Preparer From Cortlandt Manor Behind $145M Scheme To See Jail Time A Northern Westchester man known as “The Magician” for slashing clients’ tax bills using fraudulent methods will spend years in federal prison for running one of the largest tax fraud schemes ever prosecuted against a return preparer, federal officials said.  Rafael Alvarez, 61, of Cortlandt Manor, was sentenced on Thursday, May 29 in Manhattan federal court to four years in prison for orchestrating a decade-long scheme that cost the IRS $145 million in lost tax revenue, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  In addition to prison, Alvarez was s…
Washington Township Man Made $545K Filing Phony Tax Returns: Feds Washington Township Man Made $545K Filing Phony Tax Returns: Feds
Washington Township Man Made $545K Filing Phony Tax Returns: Feds A 44-year-old Washington Township man admitted to filing phony tax returns and stealing more than $180,000 from an elderly person on Thursday, May 22, authorities said. During the pandemic, James Mastrogiovanni engaged in a scheme to exploit COVID-19 relief programs to line his own pockets, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said. From March 2021 through December 2022, Mastrogiovanni prepared phony tax returns, claiming tax refunds intended to help struggling small businesses by reducing employment taxes owed, Habba said. Neither Mastrogiovanni nor any of his family members owned or operated a busi…
IRS Warns Of Bogus Refund Schemes: Here's What To Know IRS Warns Of Bogus Refund Schemes: Here's What To Know
IRS Warns Of Bogus Refund Schemes: Here's What To Know A new tax-season scam circulating online is encouraging people to falsify wage information on federal tax returns in an attempt to score large refunds — sometimes in the five-figure range. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a consumer alert warning taxpayers not to fall for the scheme, which involves manually entering made-up income and tax withholding figures on Form W-2, the Wage and Tax Statement. In some cases, scammers even urge users to invent an employer altogether.  The goal is to trick the system into issuing inflated refunds based on the false data. The IRS says i…
Montville's Teresa Giudice, Luis Ruelas Hit With $3M In Tax Liens, PEOPLE Reports Montville's Teresa Giudice, Luis Ruelas Hit With $3M In Tax Liens, PEOPLE Reports
Montville's Teresa Giudice, Luis Ruelas Hit With $3M In Tax Liens, People Reports Looks like the IRS might be flipping a table of its own. "Real Housewives of New Jersey" OG Teresa Giudice and her husband Luis Ruelas are facing a massive tax mess—to the tune of $3 million, according to a new PEOPLE report citing court records. Giudice, 51, reportedly owes $303,889.20. Her husband of two years? He's in deeper, with a jaw-dropping $2.6 million in unpaid taxes, PEOPLE reports. A lien for more than $163,500 was issued against Ruelas this past December, the outlet says, citing the New Jersey Courts website. This isn’t Teresa’s first round with Uncle Sam. She served 11 months…
Freeport Tax Preparer Stole $2M Through False Returns, COVID-19 Relief Fraud, DOJ Says Freeport Tax Preparer Stole $2M Through False Returns, COVID-19 Relief Fraud, DOJ Says
Freeport Tax Preparer Stole $2M Through False Returns, Covid-19 Relief Fraud, DOJ Says A Long Island tax preparer is facing federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a massive $12 million fraud scheme.  Damaris Beltre, 57, of Freeport, was indicted on wire fraud and related charges in Central Islip federal court on Wednesday, March 12, after filing hundreds of false tax returns and stealing COVID-19 relief funds, prosecutors alleged. Beltre ran multiple tax preparation businesses where she falsely inflated tax refunds for clients, claiming fake dependents, fraudulent sick leave, and fuel tax credits, according to prosecutors. She allegedly charged a percentage of …
Bergen Prosecutor’s Lt. Faces 50-Count Indictment For Stealing Fentanyl, Heroin: AG Bergen Prosecutor’s Lt. Faces 50-Count Indictment For Stealing Fentanyl, Heroin: AG
Bergen Prosecutor’s Lt. Faces 50-Count Indictment For Stealing Fentanyl, Heroin: AG A Bergen County prosecutor’s office lieutenant is facing a 50-count indictment after allegedly stealing cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl from the evidence vault and depositing $600,000 in cash into his personal accounts, authorities said. A state grand jury in Trenton indicted Kevin T. Matthew, 48, of Cedar Grove, after an investigation revealed he had allegedly signed out narcotics from BCPO’s main evidence vault between January 2019 and November 2023, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday, March 12. Authorities said Matthew was not part of BCPO’s narcotics unit, but as a me…
IRS Issues Warning For These Taxpayer Scams IRS Issues Warning For These Taxpayer Scams
IRS Issues Warning For These Taxpayer Scams A new warning from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has taxpayers on high alert as the agency unveils its 2025 Dirty Dozen — a list of the most common and deceptive tax scams that could put financial and personal information at risk. With tax season in full swing, scammers are ramping up efforts to steal money, sensitive data, and even taxpayer identities. From fake tax credits to social media-fueled misinformation, the schemes on this year’s list serve as a reminder that fraudsters are constantly evolving their tactics. What Is the Dirty Dozen? Each year, the IRS compiles the Dirty Doze…
Nation’s Largest COVID-19 Tax Credit Scheme Uncovered In Central Islip: USDOJ Nation’s Largest COVID-19 Tax Credit Scheme Uncovered In Central Islip: USDOJ
Nation’s Largest Covid-19 Tax Credit Scheme Uncovered In Central Islip: Usdoj Federal authorities announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, that seven people have been charged in a $600 million COVID-19 tax credit fraud scheme, the largest of its kind in U.S. history, uncovered in Central Islip, New York. Keith Williams, Jamari Lewis, Morais Dicks, Janine Davis, Tiffany Williams, James Hames Jr., and Ewendra Mathurin, all current or former New York residents, are accused of filing over 8,000 fraudulent tax returns between November 2021 and June 2023. The defendants allegedly exploited the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit (SFLC), feder…
$145M Scheme: Cortlandt Manor Man Known As 'Magician' Admits To One Of Largest Ever Frauds $145M Scheme: Cortlandt Manor Man Known As 'Magician' Admits To One Of Largest Ever Frauds
$145M Scheme: Cortlandt Manor Man Known As 'Magician' Admits To One Of Largest Ever Frauds A Northern Westchester man who earned the nickname “The Magician” for his ability to slash tax bills has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive $145 million fraud scheme that spanned a decade, federal officials announced. Rafael Alvarez, age 61, of Cortlandt Manor, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, Dec. 17, after being charged with conspiracy to defraud the US and aiding the preparation of false tax returns, according to Edward Y. Kim, Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.  Alvarez, the CEO and owner of ATAX, a Bronx-based tax preparation bu…
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams As the holiday shopping season begins, the IRS reminds everyone that it’s not just your credit card balance you need to watch — it’s also your personal information. As part of its ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week, the IRS is warning taxpayers about a rise in holiday scams.  The scammers aren’t interested in gifts under your tree; they’re after your Social Security number and financial information instead. Here’s how scammers are getting creative—and how you can stay safe: Phishing Emails: Be wary of emails pretending to be from reputable retailers, shipping companie…
Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment At Kessler Institute: Report Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment At Kessler Institute: Report
Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment At Kessler Institute: Report Former New York Congressman Michael Grimm has been left paralyzed from the chest down after a severe horse-riding accident during a polo tournament, and is being treated in New Jersey, CBS News reports citing a friend of Grimm's.  Grimm, age 54, was thrown from his horse in September and is now undergoing treatment at the renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, which has locations in West Orange, Saddle Brook, Chester, and Marlton.  Headquartered in West Orange, Kessler is where actor Christopher Reeve was treated following a similar accident in 1995, and was…
Union County Man Pleads Guilty To Preparing Phony Tax Returns: Feds Union County Man Pleads Guilty To Preparing Phony Tax Returns: Feds
Union County Man Pleads Guilty To Preparing Phony Tax Returns: Feds A 59-year-old Union man admitted to preparing phony tax returns to help his clients get improperly large refunds on Thursday, Oct. 10, authorities said. From tax years 2018 through 2021, Emmanuel Amenyo ran a tax preparation business in which he prepared and submitted individual tax returns to the IRS on behalf of clients, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said.  Amenyo filed numerous false tax returns on behalf of his clients and subscribed to false tax returns with respect to his own taxes, Sellinger said. These tax returns falsely claimed charitable contributions, itemized deductions, c…
Manalapan Couple Failed To Report $4.5 Million In Income: Prosecutor Manalapan Couple Failed To Report $4.5 Million In Income: Prosecutor
Manalapan Couple Failed To Report $4.5 Million In Income: Prosecutor A Jersey Shore couple was arrested and charged on Tuesday, Oct. 15, with failing to report nearly $4.5 million in income over five years, authorities said. An analysis of Eli and Lauren Levy's personal and business banking records revealed that the 43-year-old Manalapan residents intentionally omitted taxable income from their jointly filed tax returns from 2018 through 2022, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said. They did so despite their companies, Supreme Cleaning Services, LLC and Nation Wide Shippers, LLC, collecting a total of approximately $4.48 million in revenue ove…
Former Wildwood Mayor Admits To Healthcare Fraud, NJ Attorney General Says Former Wildwood Mayor Admits To Healthcare Fraud, NJ Attorney General Says
Former Wildwood Mayor Admits To Healthcare Fraud, NJ Attorney General Says A former mayor of Wildwood admitted to his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that stole more than $600,000 in government funds, authorities said. Peter Byron, 68, pleaded guilty to three charges on Friday, Sept. 27, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a news release on Monday, Sept. 30. Byron resigned as mayor in September 2023 after he was indicted in the case. According to court documents and statements, Byron, current Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr., and Deputy Mayor Steve Mikulski enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) despite being ineligible. The SHBP is only open…
$400K, 415 Pounds Of Pot Seized In Hudson Valley Zava Smoke Shops Investigation $400K, 415 Pounds Of Pot Seized In Hudson Valley Zava Smoke Shops Investigation
$400K, 415 Pounds Of Pot Seized In Hudson Valley Zava Smoke Shops Investigation Five corporations and three people have pleaded guilty following an investigation into multiple smoke shops in the Hudson Valley that netted more than $400,000 and 405 pounds of pot. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh II announced Wednesday, July 10, that three individuals and five corporations that were involved in a year-long investigation into Rockland County smoke shops, said  have pleaded guilty, The investigation began on Monday, March 4, when the DA's Office, the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations, New York State agencies, and local police …
Long Island Business Owners Dodge Prison After $1M Sales Tax Fraud Scheme Long Island Business Owners Dodge Prison After $1M Sales Tax Fraud Scheme
Long Island Business Owners Dodge Prison After $1M Sales Tax Fraud Scheme Two Long Island business owners will avoid prison after confessing that they intentionally dodged income taxes to line their pockets. Brian Soltan, age 62, of West Islip, and Gerald McCrystal, age 51, of Dix Hills, were both ordered to pay six-figure restitution payments in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, June 26. According to prosecutors, Soltan admitted that he intentionally failed to report more than $2.8 million in taxable sales between January 2011 and November 2015 from several auto body businesses he owned in East Islip. Those companies included Long Island Auto Body, Long Islan…
Hudson Valley Smoke Shop Raids Net 4 Felony Arrests Hudson Valley Smoke Shop Raids Net 4 Felony Arrests
Hudson Valley Smoke Shop Raids Net 4 Felony Arrests Following a months-long investigation, four people and five corporations were busted for allegedly illegally selling marijuana and criminal tax fraud. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced Friday, June 21, the busts after raids of seven smoke shops in Rockland County. According to Scott Waters, spokesman for the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, the investigations began in March with help from Homeland Security, local police, and other state agencies. The warrants were executed at two smoke shops in Clarkstown, two in Orangetown, and one in the …
CPA Firefighting Hero From Bergen Admits Role In $650,000 Tax Dodge CPA Firefighting Hero From Bergen Admits Role In $650,000 Tax Dodge
CPA Firefighting Hero From Bergen Admits Role In $650,000 Tax Dodge 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A decorated veteran Bergen County firefighter admitted in federal court on Wednesday that he and his business partner conducted a blatant tax dodge on behalf of a bunch of construction companies that employed their New York accounting firm. Jack N. Sardis, 66, of Englewood Cliffs admitted that he schemed to con the IRS with his partner, George Sanossian, 70, of Scarsdale, out of a small CPA office in a massive Westchester County shopping center. Sardis also offered to do business elsewhere, telling one client "I can meet you at my firehouse,” according to an IRS complaint. The clie…
Hudson Valley Dentist Dodged Income Taxes For Years, DA Says Hudson Valley Dentist Dodged Income Taxes For Years, DA Says
Hudson Valley Dentist Dodged Income Taxes For Years, DA Says A licensed dentist who worked in the Hudson Valley is accused of failing to pay income taxes for years, thereby defrauding the state of thousands of dollars. In Orange County, Fernando Ehrhardt, age 51, of New York City, was arraigned on criminal tax fraud and related charges in the Town of New Windsor Court on Thursday, May 30. According to prosecutors, Ehrhardt worked at several dental practices in Orange County between 2016 and 2020. Throughout that time, he allegedly failed to file personal tax returns, defrauding New York State of more than $13,000 in revenue. Ehrhardt previously had …
Mass IRS Agent Busted Filing Fake Tax Returns: Feds Mass IRS Agent Busted Filing Fake Tax Returns: Feds
Mass IRS Agent Busted Filing Fake Tax Returns: Feds The only certainty in life is death and taxes, but that doesn't stop people from trying to cheat them. A Swampscott woman hired to stop tax cheats is now accused of being one herself, police said.  Ndeye Amy Thioub, 67, was indicted on Wednesday, April 17, on three counts of filing false tax returns and three counts of filing false tax returns as an employee of the United States, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Thioub joined the IRS in 2006 and worked as an investigative auditor. Put simply it was her job to root out anyone who didn't give the government its due.&nbs…
$100M Scheme: Cortlandt Manor Man Known As 'Magician' Nabbed In One Of Largest Ever Frauds $100M Scheme: Cortlandt Manor Man Known As 'Magician' Nabbed In One Of Largest Ever Frauds
$100M Scheme: Cortlandt Manor Man Known As 'Magician' Nabbed In One Of Largest Ever Frauds A New York man known as "the Magician" has been charged in connection with one of the largest-ever tax fraud schemes by a tax preparer, federal officials announced. Northern Westchester County resident Rafael Alvarez, of Cortlandt Manor, has been charged in connection with a $100 million tax fraud scheme involving tens of thousands of federal individual income tax returns with false information, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday, April 15.  According to federal officials, from 2010 to 2020, Alvarez, also known as "the Magi…
Bronx Tax Preparer 'The Magician' Busted By IRS In Record $100M Fraud Bronx Tax Preparer 'The Magician' Busted By IRS In Record $100M Fraud
Bronx Tax Preparer 'The Magician' Busted By IRS In Record $100M Fraud A Bronx tax preparer known as "The Magician" was arrested by IRS agents for a $100 million tax fraud that federal authorities said was one of the largest ripoffs of its kind. Rafael Alvarez, 60, submitted thousands of bogus tax returns over a 10-year period, Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. It was one of the single biggest tax ripoffs by a single tax preparer in history, federal authorities announced on "Tax Day" Monday, April 15. And it allowed Alvarez to pull in $15 million in revenue in just three years, Williams said. It also won Alvarez his sleight-of…
Tax Advisor Failed To Pay His Own Taxes In Middlesex County: Prosecutor Tax Advisor Failed To Pay His Own Taxes In Middlesex County: Prosecutor
Tax Advisor Failed To Pay His Own Taxes In Middlesex County: Prosecutor A judge has ordered a longtime tax preparer to stop doing anyone's taxes after discrepancies were identified in those returns, authorities said. He also failed to file one of his own tax returns, they said. Jerry R. Jones, 82, of Monroe had a five-year state prison sentenced suspended on Friday, March 1 assuming he follows the court's order, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Chief Griffin M. Banos of the Monroe Township Police Department, and the New Jersey Department of Treasury, Division of Taxation’s Office of Criminal Investigation. Jones agreed t…
Over $955K Scheme: Former CT Office Manager Gets Years In Prison For Embezzlement Over $955K Scheme: Former CT Office Manager Gets Years In Prison For Embezzlement
Over $955K Scheme: Former CT Office Manager Gets Years In Prison For Embezzlement A 53-year-old former office manager from Connecticut will spend years in prison for embezzling nearly $956,000 from the family-owned construction business she worked for, officials announced. New Haven County resident Erin Sullivan of Cheshire, age 53, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 21 to 24 months in prison for her embezzlement scheme and tax fraud, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced. According to federal officials, Sullivan was employed as the office manager for the Orange-based construction business she worked for. Beginning at least as early as 2016, Su…