Abraham Yusuff, of Round Rock, Texas — the leader of a scheme to defraud the IRS of over $110 million — was sentenced today to more than 14 years in prison. Meghan Inyang, of San Antonio, and Christopher Eduardo, of Round Rock, two of Yusuff’s co-defendants, were also sentenced today to over three years and over two years in prison, respectively. In total, seven individuals have now been sentenced to prison for their involvement in the scheme.
“Yusaf and his codefendants secured $30 million in fraudulent refunds from the IRS — and sought even more,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “They stole the identities of honest taxpayers, filed hundreds of returns in those taxpayers’ names seeking bogus refunds and assumed the identities of real-life CPAs and other professionals to trick the IRS into directing the refunds into accounts and debit cards they controlled. The significant sentences handed down by the court reflect not only the injury caused to the Treasury but also the financial harm and stress the defendants imposed on innocent taxpayers and accounting professionals swept up in their scheme.”
“Yusuff and co-defendants didn’t just steal money; they stole the lives of hundreds of victims by changing all their contact information with the IRS and posing as authorized representatives for the taxpayers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office. “This insidious and complex scheme victimized both real tax professionals and people they represent, which is why IRS-CI special agents help take down criminal enterprises and put criminals behind bars.”
“Stealing someone’s identity is abhorrent behavior. This week’s sentencing serves as a stark reminder that fraud comes with severe consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS-CI Dallas Field Office. “I’m proud of IRS-CI's commitment to protect our tax system and ensure that those who engage in fraudulent activities face full legal consequences.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2018 to 2021 Yusuff led a stolen-identity-refund-fraud scheme with Eduardo, Inyang, Christian Mathurin (Nashville), Dillon Anozie (San Antonio), Babajide Ogunbanjo (Austin), and Aydin Mammadov (Houston).
To avoid fraud detection procedures established by the IRS, Yusuff recruited Eduardo, Mathurin, Anozie, Ogunbanjo, and Mammadov to provide addresses for receiving mail including IRS correspondence such as identity verification letters. They contacted the IRS posing as authorized agents using stolen taxpayer information to falsely persuade them they were legitimate representatives.
The defendants directed more than 370 fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds split among several prepaid debit cards registered under victim taxpayers' names. Verification letters sent by IRS were intercepted by defendants pretending to be taxpayers instructing release refunds.
Prepaid debit cards received fraudulently claimed refunds used for purchasing money orders designed to avoid identification or reporting requirements alongside designer clothing purchases among others.
At sentencing government offered victim impact statements from individuals whose identities were stolen speaking about financial harm caused by Yusuff & co-defendants.
In addition to imprisonment terms U.S District Court Judge Robert Pittman sentenced Yusuff three years supervised release ordered him restitution & forfeiture judgment amounting $30 million+. Eduardo received similar sentence plus restitution $2 million+ while Inyang got three years supervised release ordered pay $762k+ restitution.
Previously other co-defendants Dillon Anozie served 30 months; Aydin Mammadov 18 months; Babajide Ogunbanjo 16 months; Christian Mathurin served 12 months prison terms respectively
IRS-CI Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated case assisted Chief Michael Boteler Trial Attorneys Mary Frances Richardson Curtis Weidler Justice Department prosecuted matter alongside U.S Attorney Western District Texas assistance.
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