HOUSTON – Amon Rweyemamu Mtaza, a Tanzanian national, has been sentenced to 87 months in prison for his role in a massive tax fraud scheme that targeted nearly 700 victims in the United States.
Mtaza, of Houston, was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty to the charges on September 16, 2014.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller handed down the sentence, which includes 63 months for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges, to be served concurrently with an additional two years for the aggravated identity theft conviction, to be served consecutively. This resulted in a total sentence of 87 months.
As part of the sentence, the court also ordered the forfeiture of a 2006 Maserati and a 2007 Mercedes Benz s550, which were deemed proceeds gained from the illegal scheme. Mtaza was also ordered to pay $404,409 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The tax refund filings account for an intended loss of more than $1.8 million, with an actual loss of $404,409. A total of 685 victims were identified as being targeted in Mtaza’s scheme.
According to the investigation, Mtaza used stolen and unlawfully obtained personal identity information, including names and Social Security numbers, to prepare fraudulent U.S. income tax returns. The returns were electronically filed to generate and obtain tax refunds to which he was not entitled.
Mtaza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. Following his release from prison, he is expected to face deportation proceedings.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting this case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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