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Florida Woman Guilty of Nationwide Tax Fraud Scheme
Rebecca Cyphers, a 65-year-old woman from Winter Springs, Florida, has pleaded guilty to participating in a nationwide tax fraud scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, Cyphers helped facilitate the scheme by preparing and assisting in the filing of tax returns for scheme participants, falsely claiming banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax from them.
Cyphers admitted to filing a false 2013 amended income tax return claiming a refund she was not entitled to receive. As a result, the IRS issued her a refund of approximately $240,000. She then obstructed the IRS’s efforts to recover this ill-gotten refund by transferring funds into a trust, making a large cash withdrawal from the refund deposit and sending frivolous correspondence to the IRS.
Cyphers also admitted to helping others promote the tax fraud scheme and recruit additional participants, even though she knew the scheme was illegal. This is not the first time individuals involved in the scheme have been caught. In March, the main promoter of the fraud scheme, Iran Backstrom, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison, and Backstrom’s second-in-command, Mehef Bey, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Another individual, Aaron Aqueron, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for recruiting clients to the scheme and providing information to another co-conspirator for use in the preparation of false tax returns.
Cyphers is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. She also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd III and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt are prosecuting the case.
Cyphers, a resident of Winter Springs, will face the consequences of her actions. Her guilty plea is a significant blow to the tax fraud scheme, and it is hoped that her sentence will serve as a deterrent to others involved in similar schemes.
The case highlights the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the authorities. If you have any information regarding tax fraud or other financial crimes, please contact the IRS or your local law enforcement agency.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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