A model of the Maserati luxury sedan that cost more than Sh60 million. A similar car and a top of the range Mercedez Benz were impounded from a Tanzanian national facing jail for fraud 0in the US.
As part of the plea, Mtaza admitted he ran a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) scheme that targeted more than 600 people and involved the filing of hundreds of fraudulent tax returns.
Mtaza used stolen and unlawfully obtained personal identity information, including the names and Social Security numbers, of true persons to prepare fraudulent U.S. income tax returns.
The returns were electronically filed in order to generate and obtain tax refunds to which he was not entitled. Mtaza then either directed the fraudulently obtained tax refunds to be deposited onto reloadable debit cards or disbursed as U.S.
Treasury checks and he then used the monies to obtain cash and goods for his
own benefit.
The tax refund filings account for an excess of $1.8 million in losses and more than 600 victims.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller, who accepted the plea today, has set sentencing for Jan. 9, 2015. At that time, Mtaza faces up to 20 years for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges as well as a mandatory two years for each count of aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
At the hearing today, Judge Miller also signed a preliminary order of forfeiture for 2006 Maserati and a 2007 Mercedes Benz s550 as proceeds gained from the illegal scheme.
Source: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/tanzanian-national-guilty-in-tax-fraud-scheme
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