Insurance Business Owner Convicted Of Tax Fraud

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Luis Pomales guilty of filing fraudulent claims with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Pomales faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 6, 2014.

Pomales was indicted on March 12, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Pomales filed a false claim for a tax refund for the 2008 tax year. On April 15, 2009, Pomales submitted a 2008 IRS Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, with two Forms 1099-OID claiming interest income that was never earned. The fraudulent tax return and the Forms 1099-OID reflected $271,650 of taxable interest and $271,640 of federal withholding, which caused the IRS to issue a refund check for $196,872, an amount to which Pomales was not entitled.

Pomales deposited the United States Treasury check for $196,872 into an account at a local bank on June 22, 2009 and spent approximately $170,000 of the proceeds in the following six months.     
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.

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