Iran Backstrom, Tax Fraud, Florida 2021

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Florida Man at Center of Massive Tax Fraud Scheme

A federal grand jury in Orlando, Florida, returned an indictment on April 21, 2021, charging Iran Backstrom of Milledgeville, Georgia, with promoting a tax fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, from 2013 to 2017, Backstrom allegedly conspired with Mehef Bey of Charlotte, North Carolina; Yomarie Febres of Atlanta, Georgia; and Aaron Aqueron of Clermont, Florida, to promote a tax fraud scheme to more than 200 individuals in 12 states.

The indictment alleges that the defendants recruited clients by falsely representing that the clients’ mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. To execute the scheme, the defendants and their conspirators allegedly prepared and caused clients to file tax returns that falsely claimed large amounts of income taxes had been withheld from the clients and paid over to the IRS, entitling the clients to tax refunds.

As a result of the scheme, the defendants allegedly filed, and caused to be filed, with the IRS approximately $40 million in fraudulent claims for tax refunds. Backstrom is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and aiding in the preparation of false tax returns.

Backstrom, along with co-defendants Febres and Aqueron, are scheduled for their initial court appearances today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Florida. Bey will make an initial appearance at a later date. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and three years of prison on each count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns.

Aqueron also faces a maximum of three years in prison on the obstruction charge. In addition, the defendants face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer, Kavitha Bondada and Alexander Effendi of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gable of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.