Xerxes Shevar, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Pennsylvania 2025

Xerxes Shevar Guilty of Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Sentenced to Probation

ERIE, Pa. - A Brooklyn man has been found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy and sentenced to three years of probation, along with being ordered to pay $290,000 in restitution, in connection with an international wire fraud scheme.

Xerxes Shevar, 57, was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter on July 10, 2025, after pleading guilty to the crime. According to information presented to the Court, Shevar participated in a conspiracy that involved multiple co-defendants in the United States, Ghana, Nigeria, and Ireland to commit wire fraud by submitting fraudulent federal tax returns using stolen identities.

The conspirators then opened bank accounts using the stolen identities and used those accounts as repositories for the fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds. The conspirators obtained stolen identity information on the Internet and traded that information among themselves using email accounts and other means of communication.

The Indictment against Shevar and his co-conspirators alleges that, for the tax years 2010 to 2013, approximately $38 million in fraudulent tax refunds was sought from the IRS by the conspirators, causing the IRS to pay at least $10 million in fraudulent refunds. The Indictment also alleges that approximately 3,493 bank accounts were opened using stolen identities, affecting approximately 443 financial institutions, and that approximately 4,563 credit cards were obtained using the stolen identities, with approximately 11,468 individuals alleged to have been victimized.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shevar.

Xerxes Shevar was arrested in February 2024 when he returned to the United States from Ghana.

Mandatory Facts:

• Defendant/respondent: Xerxes Shevar
• Criminal charge: Wire fraud conspiracy
• City and state: Erie, Pennsylvania
• Date: July 10, 2025 (sentencing)
• Sentence: Three years of probation, $290,000 in restitution
• Dollar amount: $290,000, $38 million, $10 million

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/brooklyn-man-sentenced-role-international-wire-fraud-scheme-using-stolen-identities