Sept. 21, 2006

 

WICHITA MAN SENTENCED
TO 21 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON
ON TAX FRAUD CHARGE

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for filing a false tax return.

Seth Bryant, 21, was sentenced Wednesday during a hearing before U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten.

“Mr. Bryant received a federal tax refund check for $5,160 that was based on false information he submitted to the Internal Revenue Service,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren.

“I want to emphasize that fraud committed against the U.S. government is fraud committed against every American taxpayer,” Melgren added.

Bryant pleaded guilty in June to one count of filing a false claim against the U.S. government. In his plea, he admitted he obtained a fraudulent W-2 form falsely stating he had worked at Koch Glitsch during the 2003 tax year. He presented the false information to A-OK Tax Service, which electronically submitted his tax return to the IRS on Jan. 23, 2004. As a result, Bryant received a refund check to which he was not entitled.

IRS Criminal Investigation prepared the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch prosecuted.

For more information about the government’s tax fraud enforcement programs, see the following IRS Web site below, or contact IRS Special Agent Bonnie MacLeod at 913-789-1278.

http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/

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