Three men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a tax refund fraud scheme, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Imafedia Adevokhai, 47, of Alpharetta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. He must pay $90,380.60 in restitution and $3,500 in forfeiture.
Michael Martin, 52, of Texarkana, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and received an 18-month sentence. He was ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and $121,623.41 in forfeiture.
Osazuwa Peter Okunoghae, 46, of Houston, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 78 months. He must pay $451,117.63 in restitution and forfeiture.
Prosecutors say the men participated in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, using victims’ personal information to file fraudulent tax returns. The scheme attempted to claim nearly $5 million in refunds, resulting in over $390,000 in losses to the IRS. The defendants also laundered stolen funds through U.S. and foreign financial accounts.
“This case should serve as a warning to those who seek to defraud the U.S. government and law-abiding taxpayers,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent Christopher J. Altemus Jr.
The case was investigated by the IRS-CI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Sean Taylor.
