Chanh V. Trinh, Tax Fraud, Nevada 2019

Two Las Vegas, Nevada, family members, Chanh V. Trinh and Cannedy Trinh, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a tax fraud scheme that bilked the IRS out of millions of dollars.

According to court documents, Chanh V. Trinh and Cannedy Trinh conspired to file false federal corporate and individual tax returns in order to obtain fraudulent income tax refunds. The scheme, which involved filing returns in the names of fictitious business entities, their own names, and the names of other individuals, including a long-deceased family member, resulted in false claims of more than $6 million, with the IRS paying out over $2 million in fraudulent refunds.

Chanh V. Trinh, who prepared and filed the returns, was sentenced to 102 months in prison, while Cannedy Trinh received a 24-month sentence. Both defendants were also ordered to pay restitution: Chanh V. Trinh was ordered to pay $2,331,021, and Cannedy Trinh was ordered to pay $1,144,902.

The scheme, which was uncovered by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, involved the defendants depositing or cashing the fraudulently obtained refund checks using bank accounts and check-cashing businesses in Las Vegas. To conceal the funds, they regularly purchased cashier's checks, which they used to obtain gambling chips at local casinos.

U.S. District Court Judge James C. Mahan ordered the defendants to each serve three years of supervised release, in addition to their prison sentences. The sentencing took place on May 15, 2019.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

The Tax Division is responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes involving tax evasion and other financial crimes. Additional information about the division and its enforcement efforts can be found on its website.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/two-nevada-family-members-sentenced-prison