SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The grimy reality of financial chicanery unfolded in court today as Omar Kabiljagic, 46, a Sacramento man, was found guilty on two counts of filing false claims with the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.
According to evidence at trial, between 2008 and 2009, Kabiljagic submitted a series of fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service. These returns contained phony information, fraudulently claiming millions in refunds under false pretenses of interest income ranging from $149,859 to $1,229,000. The IRS had repeatedly warned Kabiljagic that his claims were baseless, yet he persisted.
But it wasn’t just Kabiljagic who reaped the ill-gotten gains. He also aided Suvada Mahmutovic, 67, in preparing and submitting similar fraudulent claims. One of her schemes led to a $263,000 refund that was cashed by both defendants, with some proceeds suspected to have been wired overseas.
Mahmutovic pleaded guilty to one count of filing false claims on March 3, 2017. Michael T. Batdorf, Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation, emphasized the severity of such schemes: “Today’s guilty verdict shows the severe nature of fraudulent schemes aimed at the U.S. government,” he said.
U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. will sentence Kabiljagic on June 23, 2017, and Mahmutovic on May 19, 2017. Both face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution to the IRS. The actual sentences will be determined by the court.
This case is a testament to the diligent work of the IRS Criminal Investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew G. Morris and Amy Schuller Hitchcock prosecuting the case. As the tax filing deadline approaches, the message remains clear: fraudulent tax returns are crimes with serious consequences.”
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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