Walter Drakeford, Tax Fraud Scheme, Florida 2016

A Tampa, Florida federal court has sentenced Walter Drakeford, a 72-year-old California man, to two years in federal prison for attempting to interfere with the administration of the internal revenue laws.

The crime, which took place between September 2006 and March 2009, involved Drakeford and another individual falsely claiming to own rights to landfill methane credits. They marketed these purported credits to a network of tax return preparers, who advised their clients to claim the credits on their tax returns.

Drakeford and others received a substantial portion of the refunds, frequently as much as 80%, from the individual taxpayers who received refunds as a result of the landfill methane credit claimed. The government estimates the total amount of false and fraudulent credits claimed in this case to be $4,211,757, a substantial amount of which has been recovered from the individual taxpayers.

When questioned by the IRS regarding the purported credits, Drakeford presented false and fraudulent documentation to the IRS regarding purported Devonian shale credits in an unsuccessful effort to prevent the IRS from attempting to collect the monies owed resulting from the disallowances of the purported landfill methane credits.

Drakeford knowingly caused to be presented to the IRS fraudulent and false amended tax returns that claimed purported dry hole expenses, again in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the IRS from attempting to collect the monies owed from the purported landfill methane credits.

The government estimates the total amount of false and fraudulent credits claimed in this case to be $4,211,757, a substantial amount of which has been recovered from the individual taxpayers.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.

Defendant: Walter Drakeford

Criminal Charges: Attempting to interfere with the administration of the internal revenue laws

City and State: Tampa, Florida

Exact Date: May 17, 2016

Sentence or Outcome: Two years in federal prison

Dollar Amounts: $4,211,757

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