Trussville Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Multi-Million Dollar Tax Scheme

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a Trussville man to two years in prison for a scheme to collect millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service on false tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and IRS Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot.

U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced NORMAN JAMES SECOR, 67, on four counts of making false claims against the government by filing or aiding in the filing of false income tax returns and supporting documents between June 2008 and February 2009. Judge Coogler also ordered Secor to pay the IRS $204,172 in restitution, which was part of Secor's November plea agreement with the government. Secor must report to prison April 28, and serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.

"The Internal Revenue Service will pursue all individuals who participate in schemes designed to undermine the integrity of the U.S. tax system,” Hyman-Pillot said. "As an agency, we are dedicated to maintaining the public’s confidence in our efforts to enforce the tax laws. As a result, today’s sentence of Norman Secor should serve as a reminder that individuals will face consequences for committing tax violations and defrauding the government.”

Secor was indicted last year on charges that he filed, or helped others file, 12 false tax returns claiming $5.2 million in refunds. Each false tax return contained a claim that interest income had been earned during the tax year on a certain type of bond, and that the taxpayer was entitled to a refund of federal income taxes withheld on those earnings. No such earnings or withholdings actually had occurred.

IRS, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Martin and Robin Beardsley Mark prosecuted.