United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

FORMER IRS EMPLOYEE SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON
FOR RECEIVING CASH BRIBE

DALLAS — Fernando Hernandez, 33, of Dallas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to the sentencing guideline maximum of 16 months in prison, following his guilty plea in January to one count of receiving a bribe by a public official, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Lindsay ordered that Hernandez, a former IRS employee, surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on June 8, 2010, to begin serving his sentence.

At this morning’s sentencing hearing, Judge Lindsay noted that when a public official like Hernandez takes a bribe, such conduct “breeds contempt and disrespect for the IRS, as well as law enforcement, generally.” The Court further noted that such corruption by a public official is a very serious crime because it “erodes public confidence in the integrity of the IRS.”

Hernandez was arrested on October 9, 2009, at his IRS office in Dallas on the felony bribery charge outlined in an indictment returned by a grand jury in Dallas earlier that week. In plea documents filed, Hernandez admitted that on June 3, 2005, he sought and accepted a $2000 cash payment from a U.S. taxpayer in return for Hernandez’s promise that he would ensure that no IRS representative would audit that taxpayer’s return.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Jarvis was in charge of the prosecution.

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