Oluwabunmi Odu-Onikosi, Wire Fraud, West Virginia 2016

TEXAS MAN GETS 18 MONTHS FOR $500K TAX REFUND SCAM

A Dallas man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for using stolen identities to collect over $500,000 in tax refunds, federal authorities said.

Onikosi, 29, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty in January 2016 to one count of Wire Fraud and was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $539,899.

According to prosecutors, Onikosi repeatedly and fraudulently obtained personal identifying information from a variety of individuals, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. He used that information to create and prepare fraudulent income tax returns and false earnings statements containing fictitious wage, withholding, gambling winnings, and other fabricated information.

Onikosi filed more than 400 false federal individual income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, claiming tax refunds in excess of $3,000,000. He received fraudulent tax refund payments in excess of $500,000 in the form of United States Treasury Checks and direct deposits to bank accounts and prepaid debit cards maintained and controlled by Onikosi.

“Today’s legal proceedings bring Mr. Oluwabunmi Odu-Onikosi to justice,” said Thomas M. Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office. “Mr. Odu-Onikosi violated the privacy of people, used this to cheat our tax system and pocket ill-gotten gains. This ID theft prosecution of Mr. Odu-Onikosi in West Virginia marks a milestone in the prosecution as the fraudulent tax returns he filed electronically were received by the IRS Enterprise Computing Center located in Martinsburg. This is a very serious crime throughout our nation; those committing crimes such as this should take notice that you will receive a harsh sentence when you are convicted of this crime in the Northern District of West Virginia. My office will continue to work with the United States Attorney’s Office to see that these offenses are investigated and prosecuted to assure compliance with our nation’s tax laws.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation led the inquiry with assistance from the New Orleans, Louisiana Police Department and the United States Secret Service. Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the case.

The IRS said that Onikosi’s scheme was a serious crime that compromised the trust of the tax system. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those who commit identity theft and tax refund scams to justice,” said the IRS.

Onikosi’s sentencing is a reminder that identity theft and tax refund scams are serious crimes that can result in severe penalties, including prison time and fines. The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.