LAS VEGAS, Nev. – In a brazen scheme to swindle millions of dollars in tax refunds, two Las Vegas residents have been sentenced to prison, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Chanh V. Trinh, a mastermind behind the operation, was sentenced to 102 months in prison, while his accomplice, Cannedy Trinh, will serve 24 months. The duo’s scheme to file false tax returns resulted in over $6 million in false claims, with the IRS doling out more than $2 million in refunds.
The Trinhs, along with co-conspirator Elizabeth Trinh, conspired to file federal corporate and individual tax returns, reporting false income tax withholdings and payments. To facilitate the scheme, Chanh V. Trinh prepared and filed the returns in the names of fictitious business entities, their own names, and the names of other individuals, including a long-deceased family member.
The Trinhs deposited or cashed the fraudulently obtained refund checks using bank accounts and check-cashing businesses in Las Vegas. To conceal the funds, the defendants regularly purchased cashier’s checks, which they used to obtain gambling chips at local casinos.
U.S. District Court Judge James C. Mahan ordered the defendants to each serve three years of supervised release. Chanh V. Trinh was ordered to pay restitution of $2,331,021, while Cannedy Trinh was ordered to pay restitution of $1,144,902.
Co-defendant Elizabeth Trinh is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2019. The investigation was conducted by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division.
The Tax Division’s enforcement efforts continue to address tax-related crimes, and the public can find more information on their website.
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Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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