Former Heber City, Utah, Resident Indicted in Salt Lake City for Presenting False Claims to the United States

WASHINGTON – April Rampton, formerly a resident of Heber City, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City with 15 counts of presenting false claims to the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.

According to the indictment, in August 2008, Rampton, filed a false amended income tax return in her name claiming an income tax refund of $227,325. Rampton’s false claim was based on the use of false Forms 1099-OID, Original Issue Discount. Thereafter, from October 2008 through February 2009, Rampton caused 14 additional false federal income tax returns to be filed on behalf of other individuals. These other false tax returns also used false Forms 1099-OID and claimed federal income tax refunds totaling more than $3 million.

An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable double. If convicted, Rampton faces a maximum of 75 years in prison.

The case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Justice Department Tax Division Trial Attorneys Michael Romano and Stuart Wexler.