Rodney Quinn Rupe, Attempted $2M Tax Credit Theft, Utah 2024

Ex-IRS Employee Accused of Stealing $2M in Tax Credits

A Davis County resident is facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to steal more than $2 million in tax credits from the government and ExxonMobil.

Rodney Quinn Rupe, 46, of Syracuse, Utah, devised a scheme from July 2021 to March 2024 to fraudulently obtain money from the IRS and ExxonMobil, and divert the money for his personal use.

As a former IRS account management employee, Rupe had access to certain taxpayer accounts and case processing tools in an IRS computer database. He abused this access to divert tax credits owed to ExxonMobil to Ex Xo Exteriors Ltd., an entity created and controlled by Rupe.

The scheme involved assigning a newly created employer identification number (EIN) to Ex Xo Exteriors Ltd. in July 2021, and then transferring the diverted tax funds from one tax year to another, resulting in a refund of $2,100,377.38 from the U.S. Treasury.

Rupe attempted to deposit the U.S. Treasury check at multiple America First Credit Union locations on several occasions in January 2024.

Rupe is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and theft of government property. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 3, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is 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.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/former-irs-employee-accused-attempting-steal-more-2m-government-and-exxonmobil