A recent verdict has come down in a high-profile tax crime case in New York, with Afolabi Ajelero, a Springfield Gardens resident, being found guilty of conspiring to commit aggravated identity theft and aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. This verdict marks the culmination of an investigation into a stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved the use of false means of identification to file false corporate income tax returns.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Afolabi Ajelero, the owner of Mo-Betta Ventures Inc., a tax preparation business based in Springfield Gardens, conspired with others to possess and use without lawful authority one or more means of identification of another person. He also filed false corporate income tax returns for the 2014 and 2015 tax years for his business.
Afolabi Ajelero was acquitted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft counts. He faces a maximum sentence of five years for the conspiracy conviction and a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false returns. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties.
In related cases, co-defendant Hakeem Bamgbala pleaded guilty to 18 counts of wire fraud, 22 counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of conspiring to commit aggravated identity theft, and one count of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return on February 15, 2019. Co-defendant Michael Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft on July 31, 2018. A sentencing date has not been set for Bamgbala and Campbell.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Eric Powers of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Afolabi Ajelero’s conviction serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ensuring the integrity of the tax system and the severe consequences that individuals may face for engaging in tax crimes.
Defendant:
Afolabi Ajelero
Criminal Charges:
Conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns
City and State:
Springfield Gardens, New York
Date:
No specific date mentioned, but the case is related to tax returns filed in 2014 and 2015
Sentence or Outcome:
Afolabi Ajelero faces a maximum sentence of five years for the conspiracy conviction and a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false returns
Dollar Amounts:
No dollar amounts mentioned in the source
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
White Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar CrimeWhite Collar Crime