Former Night Club Bouncer Convicted Of Identity Theft And Conspiracy To Defraud The United States For More Than $200,000

United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the conviction of JOHN HUNTER, SR., 46, for conspiracy to defraud the United States, false claims and aggravated identity theft. A jury returned a guilty verdict after a four-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Doty. A sentencing date has not been set.

As proven at trial, in February 2010, HUNTER, SR., filed a fraudulent 2009 tax return in his own name. In it, he falsely claimed that he had earned $13,000 in 2009 working at Club Rage, Inc., a company that owned a nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota. Defendant also claimed that Club Rage withheld over $1,200 in taxes from his paychecks, and that he was entitled to an $8,222 tax refund. Though HUNTER, SR., had worked as a nightclub bouncer for Club Rage, he only earned just over $4,000 in wages in 2009 and had no taxes withheld from his paychecks that year. HUNTER, SR., ultimately received a refund of $7,646 based on this fraudulent tax return.

As proven at trial, HUNTER, SR., then filed fraudulent tax returns in the names of several dozen other people in the spring of 2010. HUNTER, SR., recruited tax filers and offered to file their returns and obtain refunds. However, the defendant prepared and filed those returns using fraudulent wage and employment information. HUNTER, SR., repeated a similar scheme in January 2012, in which he again filed fraudulent returns in his own name and that of others.

As proven at trial, HUNTER, SR., filed at least 45 fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $200,000 in tax refunds.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, with substantial assistance from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson and Amber Brennan.

Defendant Information:

JOHN HUNTER, SR., 46

Eagan, Minn.

Convicted:

• Conspiracy to defraud the United States, 1 count
• False claims, 8 counts
• Aggravated identity theft, 2 counts

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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600