Baltimore Man Charged With Running Tax Refund Scam In Central New York

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Arkmallah Hilliard, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, was arraigned today in federal court in Syracuse on one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Special Agent in Charge James D. Robnett, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office.

Hilliard is charged by indictment for conspiring with former Utica resident Anas Wilson and others to defraud the IRS by filing false and fraudulent income tax returns in the names of various individuals and obtaining tax refunds to which they knew they were not entitled. The indictment alleges that Hilliard used his own bank accounts and other bank accounts he controlled that had been opened by co-conspirators to receive the tax refunds, after which Hilliard and others withdrew, spent, and transferred the money for their own purposes. Anas Wilson previously pled guilty to similar charges in federal court in Syracuse and is serving a 12-year prison sentence.

The charge filed against Hilliard carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or the loss to any victim, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation/ money judgment of up to $462,107.00. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

United States Magistrate Judge David E. Peebles ordered Hilliard detained pending a trial to be scheduled later this year before Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.