Pasco County Woman Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Tax Fraud And Obstruction

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Ingrid McBride Rich to four years in prison for presenting a false claim to an agency of the United States, and for obstructing and impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the collection of taxes. As part of her sentence, the Court also ordered her to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $510,222.

Rich was found guilty by a federal jury on August 17, 2017.

According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2009, Rich submitted a fraudulent tax return to the IRS for tax year 2008, which resulted in her obtaining a refund check in the amount of $510,222. After obtaining the check, she deposited it into a brand new bank account, then immediately began transferring the money into various accounts, in her name and in the names of entities she owned. In an attempt to prevent the IRS from recouping the funds, Rich used cashier’s checks and at least 10 bank accounts and 4 banking institutions to hide the money. She bought nearly 100 cashier’s checks and engaged in hundreds of financial transactions over a period of nearly three years. The evidence also showed that Rich incorporated two companies in order to hide the tax refund, and hid additional money in accounts of corporations she had previously controlled.

Rich also sent the IRS various frivolous correspondence, including bogus money orders and tax documents, with the intent that it would impede the collection of the funds. Because of this obstruction, the IRS was only able to recoup a nominal amount of the fraudulently obtained funds.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones and Adam Saltzman.