Daciann Brown, Fraud, New York 2018

Rochester, NY, resident Daciann Brown, a 30-year-old Jamaican native, has pleaded guilty to failure to appear for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Brown was scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2018, but failed to appear, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued. He was eventually arrested by the U.S. Marshal Service on June 3, 2020.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, Brown pretended to be a tax preparer and filed 66 false tax returns on behalf of 44 taxpayers with the IRS. Thirteen of those taxpayers did not know the defendant was filing returns using their personal information.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge, and the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.

Sentencing on both the failure to appear and fraud charges will be scheduled at a later date before Chief Judge Geraci. Brown was previously convicted of wire fraud, false claims, and fraud related to identification documents in May 2018.

The case highlights the importance of tax preparation and the need for individuals to be vigilant when sharing personal information with others.

Contact: Barbara Burns, (716) 843-5817, (716) 551-3051.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/jamaican-native-convicted-fraud-pleads-guilty-failure-report-sentencing