Oleg Oliynyk, Tax and Immigration Fraud and Money Laundering, Florida 2021

A scheme to deceive the IRS and exploit foreign workers has come to light in South Florida, where two Ukrainian nationals have been charged with tax and immigration fraud, and money laundering.

According to a superseding indictment, Oleg Oliynyk and Oleksandr Yurchyk, between August 2007 and July 2021, owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC.

The indictment alleges that the defendants, through these staffing companies, facilitated the employment in the hospitality industry of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. In addition, Oliynyk and Yurchyk allegedly conspired to defraud the IRS by, among other things, not withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from these workers paychecks, and causing false corporate tax returns for the labor-staffing companies to be filed with the IRS.

Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to harbor non-resident aliens and induce them to remain in the country and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the United States charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charge.

The defendants also face the possibility of a fine and supervised release upon completion of any sentence of incarceration. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Oliynyk and Yurchyk.

Oleg Oliynyk, defendant: Oleg Oliynyk | Criminal charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to harbor non-resident aliens and induce them to remain in the country and conspiracy to commit money laundering | City and state: Miami, Florida | Date: Between August 2007 and July 2021 | Sentence: Maximum penalty of 35 years in prison | Fine: Not specified

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