Ayodele Arasokun, International Tax Scheme, West Virginia 2023

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Frenchman has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for orchestrating an international tax scheme that affected West Virginia residents.

Ayodele Arasokun, age 46, of Paris, France, was convicted by a jury in October 2022 of twenty-one counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Arasokun coordinated a scheme to file 1,701 false returns and claim $9.1 million in refunds, with West Virginia residents among the victims.

Evidence presented at trial showed that Arasokun had the money transferred to pre-paid debit cards and checking accounts that he was monitoring. The investigation revealed approximately 700 U.S.-based accounts containing more than $50 million was being tracked by the defendant.

A total of $2.2 million in fraudulent refunds were actually paid by the Internal Revenue Service.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Eleanor Hurney.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) - Cybercrime Investigations Division, and the IRS-CI, Los Angeles field office investigated.

U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/french-man-sentenced-international-tax-scheme