A 10-count indictment was filed charging six people with various offenses related to a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service of at least $1.7 million in fraudulently obtained tax returns
Mike Tobin, Public Affairs Specialist, (216) 622-3651
A 10-count indictment was filed charging six people with various offenses related to a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service of at least $1.7 million in fraudulently obtained tax returns, often filed in the names of recently deceased taxpayers, federal law enforcement officials announced today.
Between April 15, 2009 to at least August 2011, Muaad Salem, Fahim Sulieman, Hanan Widdi, Najeh Widdi, Hazem Woodi and Daxesj Patel and other unknown co-conspirators defrauded the United States by filing false and fraudulent tax returns, many in the names of recently deceased taxpayers, and directing refunds to controlled locations in the state of Florida, according to the indictment.
The United States Treasury checks generated by the false and fraudulent returns would then be sent by the U.S. Mail to co-conspirators in Ohio who would sell and distribute the checks for negotiation at various businesses and banking institutions, according to the indictment.
“The theft of anyone’s identity is a serious offense, but stealing the identities of the recently departed to defraud all the other taxpayers is particularly egregious,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“Identity theft that leads to tax fraud threatens both individual U.S. citizens and the U.S. government,” said John A. DiCicco, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division. “The Justice Department and the IRS will continue to cooperate in investigating and prosecuting these crimes to the fullest extent of the law. In our technology-driven society, this simply must be a top priority.”
Charged with conspiracies to defraud the United States and to commit mail fraud, violations of Title 18 Sections 286 and 371, are :
Muaad Salem, age 33, of Akron, Ohio
Hazem Woodi, age 31, of North Olmsted, Ohio
Najeh Widdi, age 45, of Cleveland, Ohio
Fahim Suleiman, age 46, of Lutz, Florida
Daxesj Patel, age 35, of Canton, Ohio
Hanan Widdi, age 38, of Cleveland, Ohio
The six are also charged with three counts of mail fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft (Title 18 Section 1028(A)(1). In addition to the other charges, Daxesj Patel is separately charged with two counts of making a false claim against the United States, a violation of Title 18 Section 287 United States Code, and with making a false statement to law enforcement officials investigating the crimes, a violation of Title 18 Section 1001(a)(2).
“The IRS is aggressively pursuing those who steal others' identities in order to file false returns,” said Steven Miller, IRS Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. “Our cooperative work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will help protect taxpayers in Northern Ohio from being victimized by identity theft. The IRS is taking additional steps this tax season to further prevent, detect and resolve identity theft cases as soon as possible.”
“This case is an example of the FBI and IRS working together to aggressively pursue and investigate those organized criminal enterprises that commit identity theft and fraudulent activities in the United States costing the taxpayers of this country millions of dollars,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland office.
“IRS Criminal Investigation has made investigating refund fraud and identity theft a top priority,” stated Darryl Williams, Special Agent in Charge, IRS, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Filing fraudulent tax returns in the names of other individuals may result in significant harm to those individuals whose identities were stolen, as well as a monetary loss against the U.S. Treasury.”
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
Mail Fraud is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment; Conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years; Conspiracy to commit mail fraud, making a False claim against the United States, and making a false statement are each punishable by a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment; Aggravated Identity Theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of two years incarceration to follow conviction on any other offense.
All of the above sentences are also punishable by a fine of $250,000.
The case was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Gary D. Arbeznik following investigation by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service CID, and the United States Postal Service.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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