Third Defendant Sentenced In False Tax Return And Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that defendant Behrmann Desenclos, 43, of Lauderhill, was sentenced for his participation in a scheme to file false tax returns and use stolen identities to claim fraudulent tax refunds. Desenclos was sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,358,156.76. Desenclos previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and four counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1) and 2.

According to court documents, Desenclos, Rachelle Beaubrun, and Louis Richard Nemorin were involved in a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves by submitting false refund claims on federal income tax returns, causing the IRS to issue refunds which the defendants diverted to their own benefit and use. The defendants prepared various federal income tax returns falsely claiming refunds: (a) on behalf of foreign nationals who had previously been deported from the United States and who were ineligible to receive any refund; (b) based on jobs with companies that had no employees; (c) based on employment with companies or offices where the taxpayer named on the return did not work; (d) utilizing Schedule C to falsely claim deductions for nonexistent business expenses; and (e) by claiming First Time Homebuyer Credits for residences which the taxpayers named on the returns did not actually purchase.

Court documents state that Beaubrun and Desenclos also acquired stolen identification information such as names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, from Nemorin. The defendants prepared fraudulent federal income tax returns through Divine Tax and Financial Services and Global-Tech Financial Management, LLC.

For tax years 2008 and 2009, the defendants caused the submission of federal income tax returns which falsely claimed refunds amounting to more than $2.6 million.

On August 20, 2013, Rachelle Beaubrun, 42, of Lauderhill, and Louis Richard Nemorin, a/k/a Richard Nemorin, a/k/a Louis Nemorin, 35, of Riviera Beach, were sentenced for their participation in the schemes. Beaubrun was sentenced to 102 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Nemorin was sentenced to 60 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and four counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1) and 2.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rochlin.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.