MIAMI, FL – The IRS isn’t playing games. Two tax preparers are trading their calculators for cell blocks after receiving federal prison sentences for a brazen scheme to file false tax returns and pocket the refunds. The sentences were handed down July 1st by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman, marking a victory for federal investigators and a harsh lesson for those who think they can cheat the system.
Napoleon Tabot, 60, of Chandler, Arizona, received an 18-month sentence. His co-defendant, Lovet Ayuk-Ako, 40, of Silver Spring, Maryland, will spend a significantly longer 30 months behind bars. Both were convicted of conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Upon their release, they’ll each face three years of supervised release and are ordered to pay a hefty $397,818.00 in restitution to the U.S. government – a fraction of the total damage they inflicted.
Court documents reveal Tabot acted as a recruiter, bringing in clients – his co-workers at a Hollywood, Florida employer – to Ayuk-Ako’s tax preparation business, Money Back Tax, LLC, based in Maryland. Money Back Tax cast a wide net, serving clients in Florida, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Tabot allegedly gathered sensitive personal and tax information from these unsuspecting victims and funneled it to Ayuk-Ako and another co-conspirator, Arnold Zio, for fraudulent tax return preparation.
The scheme was simple, but effective. Ayuk-Ako and Zio filed bogus returns with inflated refunds, then redirected those refunds into bank accounts they controlled – all without the taxpayers’ knowledge or consent. They systematically stole from hard-working Americans, lining their own pockets at the expense of the public good. The total tax loss suffered by the United States exceeded $500,000, a substantial blow to federal revenue.
While Tabot and Ayuk-Ako are now facing the consequences, their accomplice, Arnold Zio, remains at large and is currently considered a fugitive. Law enforcement urges anyone with information on Zio’s whereabouts to come forward. It’s a stark reminder that even when some players are caught, the full network of criminals often remains hidden.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, jointly announced the sentences. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton skillfully prosecuted the case. Court documents related to case number 23-cr-60077 are available on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or through PACER at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. Remember, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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