John Metters Gets 41 Months for $391K Tax Refund Scam

John Metters, 53, of Fontana, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after orchestrating a years-long tax fraud scheme that siphoned nearly $400,000 from the IRS. The San Bernardino County man filed bogus tax returns packed with falsified income and refund claims, duping federal authorities into issuing $391,070 in illegitimate refunds between 2007 and 2011.

Metters was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered full restitution of $391,070. The judge’s decision followed Metters’ September guilty plea to one count of making false claims to the United States and one count of theft of government money—charges that reflect both the scale and audacity of the scam.

Court documents reveal Metters didn’t just file false returns—he built a paper trail of lies. He invented wages that were never paid and backed them with fake W-2 and 1099-R forms from phantom employers. In one case, a 2008 return included real income data alongside fabricated documents, tricking the IRS into issuing a $16,071 refund based on ghost earnings.

“This defendant compounded his brazen tax fraud by attempting to obstruct the ensuing investigation, to no avail,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Today’s sentence reflects not only the size of the fraud, but also the defendant’s willingness to obstruct justice by discouraging witnesses from answering subpoenas to testify before the grand jury.”

IRS Criminal Investigation agents dismantled the scheme after tracing the fraudulent filings through shell companies and falsified payroll records. “Justice was served and Mr. Metters was held accountable for his criminal activity,” stated Anthony J. Orlando, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to others contemplating the same type of scheme – IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously pursue those who unjustly enrich themselves by filing false income tax returns.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Schwab and Sandhya Ramadas of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Investigators say the sentence sends a clear message: steal from the government with phony paperwork, and federal prison time will follow.