Hassan Osman, a 52-year-old Minneapolis man, has been found guilty of tax fraud and conspiracy by a federal jury in Minnesota.
According to the indictment, Osman participated in a tax fraud scheme that involved nearly 100 fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $1 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
Osman and his co-conspirators, who were not named, devised and carried out the scheme between January 2008 and April 2011. They prepared fraudulent tax returns using fake W-2s created in the name of several front companies, and most of the returns were filed electronically from coffee shops or a business owned by Osman in south Minneapolis.
The resulting refunds were split among Osman and his co-conspirators, often deposited onto prepaid debit cards and sent to addresses controlled by Osman or his co-conspirators.
Osman was arrested on April 17, 2015, and later released on bond pending trial. However, he failed to appear for a court-ordered pretrial conference on July 28, 2015, resulting in a warrant for his arrest. He was eventually arrested in Toronto, Canada, on April 14, 2016, and extradited back to the United States to face trial.
Osman was convicted of one count of conspiracy, 13 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and one count of unlawful flight from prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson praised the IRS and U.S. Marshals for their role in Osman’s arrest and extradition, saying, ‘Osman’s attempt to avoid responsibility for his actions was unsuccessful.’
IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Hubbard Burgess added, ‘Hassan Osman’s attempt to evade the law was thwarted, and he was found guilty of conspiracy to aid and assist in the preparation and filing of false tax returns by a jury of his peers.’
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson and Michelle E. Jones.
Hassan Osman, 52, of Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted of:
Conspiracy, 1 count
Aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, 13 counts
Failure to appear, 1 count
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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