Florida Resident Pleads Guilty To Stealing Government Funds And Obstructing The IRS

WASHINGTON – A resident of Lee County, Florida pleaded guilty today to stealing government funds and corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the internal revenue laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida. 

According to documents filed with the court, Attila Kalmar filed 2007 through 2009 trust returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the name of First AK-Open Sec Trust, a nominee entity, seeking more than $480,000 in fraudulent refunds.  Kalmar deposited a refund check he received as a result of these filings into a bank account, and then used the proceeds to purchase real property, acquire thousands of dollars in gold coins, and wire money overseas.  Kalmar also attempted to impede the internal revenue laws by transferring funds between nominee bank accounts and falsely representing to the IRS that an IRS revenue officer was the trustee for First AK-Open Sec Trust.

Sentencing has not been scheduled.  Kalmar faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for corruptly endeavoring to impede the internal revenue laws and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft of government funds.  He also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture, and monetary penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez commended special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys William M. Montague, Grace E. Albinson, and Melanie A. Smith of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.