Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To File False Claims Against The United States

Tampa, Florida – Jose Acevedo (39, Connecticut) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to file false claims against the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the facts presented at the plea hearing, Acevedo joined in a conspiracy with others to file false and fraudulent income tax returns as claims against the United States. He and fellow conspirators used the personal identification information of persons they knew, and others, to file false and fraudulent income tax returns claiming refunds. These returns contained false information, including that the purported taxpayers had paid withholding taxes to the IRS associated with their supposed employment with business entities created by the conspirators when, in truth, the purported taxpayers were not employees of such entities and had not paid the claimed withholding taxes. Acevedo also caused the filing of several amended income tax returns with the IRS on his own behalf, using the same type of false information, causing the issuance of fraudulent refunds to himself. As a result, the IRS paid conspirators approximately $90,359 in fraudulent refunds and stopped payment on significantly more refund claims.

This case was investigated by agents of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.