Russell A. Spatz

trial attorney with
over 40 years of experience
Former Prosecutor And Division Chief In The Office
of The Miami-dade State Attorney
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Two Miami Men Arrested for TaxFraud

On Behalf of | Feb 14, 2020 | Uncategorized |

It’s tax season! Over the next few months, as work documents begin rolling in, Americans will be filing their 2019 taxes. This is a task that can be daunting for those who owe the IRS money, exciting for those who get a return, and dangerous for those who commit tax fraud year after year.

Tax fraud can occur in a variety of ways including:

  • Purposely failed to file his income tax return
  • Misrepresented the actual state of his affairs so as to falsely claim tax deductions or tax credits
  • Intentionally failed to pay his tax debt
  • Prepared and filed a false return
  • Deliberately failed to report all income received

A recent Miami case involves two men who were arrested for filing tax returns under the names of over 2,000 college students using a stolen information including names, addresses, and social security numbers obtained via computer access at a former job at the now closed ATI College of Health in Miami Gardens, where one of the men once worked.

Ludrick Joseph and Maurice Marcellus were sentenced to four and five years of prison, respectively, for $563,210 in tax fraud by stealing the identities of the students who attended the college. From 2012 to 2014 these two men filed tax returns under various names after Marcellus downloaded files from ATI’s database where Marcellus was an academic advisor.

The IRS is a very serious agency, which has no problem coming down on those who commit fraud against them. While we never condone partaking in any type of illegal activity, if you or someone you know do find themselves in a situation that involves tax fraud, it’s best to seek out the assistance of an experienced criminal defense attorney. Russell Spatz has ample knowledge of the federal tax law system and years of experience in these kinds of cases. Give him a call today at 305-442-0200 to schedule your consultation.

References:

Neal, David J. “Miami-Dade Man Used Student Names in $560,000 Fraud. He Later Worked at Another College.” Miamiherald, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2020, www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article239997603.html.

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