Saud Alessa, Tax Conspiracy, Nevada 2022

Two Nevada men were sentenced to prison today for conspiring to defraud the IRS. Saud Alessa was sentenced to 13 months in prison, while Jeffrey Bowen faced 60 days in prison. This conviction stems from a federal jury trial held in November 2021.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Saud Alessa, Jeffrey Bowen, and an unnamed co-conspirator, Jackie Hayes, sought to evade IRS collection efforts for over $500,000 in tax liabilities owed by Alessa for tax years 1998 to 2007. As part of the scheme, Hayes entered into a payment arrangement with Bowen, the owner of a vacuum cleaner distributor, J&L Distributing Inc. (J&L), where commissions earned by Alessa were falsely recorded in the company’s books as commissions earned by Hayes.

Hayes and Bowen then submitted false tax forms and filings to the IRS, stating that Hayes had earned the income. This allowed Alessa to evade payment of his outstanding federal tax debt. To further conceal his income and assets, Alessa filed false individual tax returns for 2012 and 2013 and filed a bankruptcy petition in February 2013, falsely reporting no income.

In addition to imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du ordered Alessa and Bowen to each serve three years of supervised release and to pay over $500,000 in restitution to the United States. Hayes previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in February 2022 to two months in prison for her role in the conspiracy.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou, and Special Agent in Charge Albert A. Childress commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and members of the U.S. Trustee Program for their roles in uncovering the charged conduct.

Former business owner Saud Alessa was sentenced to 13 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy to defraud the IRS. This crime occurred in Nevada and was sentenced on November 2022.

The defendant, Saud Alessa, was ordered to pay over $500,000 in restitution to the United States as part of his sentence. This case highlights the need for individuals to comply with tax laws and regulations.

The investigation and prosecution of this case were conducted by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Trustee Program. Trial Attorneys Michael Landman and Eric Taffet prosecuted the case.

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