George Davis Telford, Jr., Tax and Fraud Offenses, Connecticut 2023

A Tolland resident has been hit with a string of serious charges after a federal grand jury indicted him on tax and fraud offenses.

George Davis Telford, Jr., 36, was charged with eight counts of tax and fraud offenses after allegedly creating bogus trust entities to obtain fraudulent refunds from the IRS.

According to the indictment, Telford filed five false federal tax returns in 2019 and 2020 claiming approximately $6.2 million in refunds. The IRS paid out one refund of $564,758 for a tax return he filed for the 2018 tax year on behalf of the ‘Telford Asset Family Trust.’

The indictment further alleges that Telford engaged in a scheme to defraud the Connecticut Department of Labor (‘CT DOL’) of unemployment insurance benefits. He submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits, claiming that the individuals had earned wages from High Class Grads LLC and had been laid off from the company.

As a result of these claims, CT DOL paid out $48,792 in fraudulent benefits. Telford is also accused of three counts of wire fraud.

‘An indictment is not evidence of guilt,’ said David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. ‘Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.’

Telford is currently incarcerated in state custody for unrelated alleged criminal conduct. The matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Susan Wines.

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