In a shocking case of tax refund theft, three members of the Trinh family in Las Vegas, Nevada, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal more than $2 million in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
According to the charges, Chanh V. Trinh, Cannedy Trinh, and Elizabeth Trinh filed false income tax returns reporting fake income tax withholdings and payments, which fraudulently caused the IRS to issue income tax refunds. The Trinhs filed the fraudulent returns in the names of fictitious business entities, their own names, and the names of other individuals, including a long-deceased family member.
Chanh V. Trinh prepared and filed the returns, and all three defendants deposited or cashed the fraudulently obtained refund checks using bank accounts and check-cashing businesses in Las Vegas. The defendants regularly concealed the funds by purchasing cashier’s checks, which they used to obtain gambling chips at Las Vegas casinos.
The conspiracy resulted in false claims of more than $6 million, and more than $2 million in fraudulent refunds paid out by the IRS. United States District Court Judge James C. Mahan scheduled sentencing for all three defendants for April 10, 2019.
Chanh V. Trinh will be sentenced to 102 months in prison under his plea agreement, if accepted by the court. Cannedy Trinh will be sentenced to 24 months in prison under his plea agreement, if accepted by the court. Elizabeth Trinh faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under her plea agreement.
Each defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. The investigation was conducted by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale.
Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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