IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office

Last night members of the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office gathered to celebrate the outstanding service of Special Agent Rodger Keester, who will retire November 30, 2024, after 33 years as a federal employee. Rodger spent 31 years as an IRS Criminal Investigation special agent and two years as an IRS tax auditor.?During his 31-year career as an IRS-CI special agent, Rodger has investigated domestic and international tax evasion, fraudulent return preparers, money laundering, and all areas of financial fraud. "My time with IRS-CI has been both professionally rewarding and enjoyable.?To the newer agents, the best piece of advice I can offer is to create strong working relationships with the Assistant U.S. Attorneys. You may feel a bit intimidated during your first case or two, but rely on your expertise to get past it.?You know your tax cases, so make sure you provide sound and logical guidance and become a trusted advisor to AUSAs who will prosecute your cases." - Special Agent Rodger Keester "We are saying goodbye next week to a dedicated public servant.?Special Agent Keester served for more than three decades with IRS-CI and his legacy will impact the LAFO for years to come.?Good luck in your retirement Rodger!" - Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher #WhatWeDoCounts

For most of us, #casinos are a place to let our hair down, play games of chance and maybe get a little #lucky. For #moneylaunderers, casinos offer a place to clean illicit funds. Today, IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher and Western Cyber Crimes Unit Special Agent Christian Mickelsen, CAMS, CFCS, CISC spoke with participants of Jamul Casino’s Bank Secrecy Act & Anti-Money Laundering Working Group. Attendees heard case examples and about current trends in money laundering schemes, as well as how their casinos can identify potential money laundering operations. With approximately 120 IRS Criminal Investigation special agents covering all of Southern California, public-private partnerships with organizations such as casinos are critical in identifying suspicious activities, and educating casino representatives is a crucial step in strengthening these partnerships. #WhatWeDoCounts

According to the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risks Report (https://lnkd.in/ezWRuKvN), #cybercrime is one of the top ten risks facing the world. IRS Criminal Investigation is a proud partner in the fight against this very real threat!! Special Agents assigned to the Western Cyber Crimes Unit, part of the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office, recently participated in an international disruption effort against the current version of RedLine Infostealer, one of the most prevalent infostealers in the world that has targeted millions of victim computers, and the closely-related META Infostealer. “As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology and the internet, the number of potential victims of those who exploit the internet for nefarious purposes has grown exponentially. Our cybercrimes units and international attachés serve on the front lines of this battle against cybercrime and through our partnerships, we will remain on the cutting edge of cybercrime investigations.”??- Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation Guy Ficco

Today the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Orange County District Attorney’s Office , Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office announced the guilty plea agreement signed by former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do. "Combating #publiccorruption is one of the most important roles federal law enforcement agencies play in our local communities.?Andrew Do, in his elected position as an Orange County Supervisor, was entrusted to ensure #taxpayer dollars were used responsibly and for the purposes intended.?Instead, at a time when his constituents needed him most during the #COVID19 pandemic, Mr. Do exploited his position on the Orange County Board of Supervisors to influence the channeling of funds to close associates at the Viet America Society, in addition, accepting bribes that were used to purchase a home, pay property taxes, and even pay fictitious income to his family members.? ? Unfortunately for Mr. Do, financial transactions leave a paper trail. ?IRS Criminal Investigation is the best in the world at finding and following those leads, and along with some great work by our investigative partners, we were able to find proof of where and how those funds were spent. ? The selfish and negligent actions demonstrated by Mr. Do violated not only the trust emplaced in him by the public, but also the trust emplaced in him by federal, state and county governments. Mr. Do will now be held accountable for his actions." - Assistant Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. #WhatWeDoCounts

Are you, or do you know, a student who is interested in becoming an IRS Criminal Investigation special agent? If so, the Pathways Student Intern Program is a great way to get a glimpse of what a career with us could look like! The IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office is looking to fill THREE Pathways slots with Spring 2026 graduates who meet the requirements. Applications are due by October 14. Check out the posting on USAJOBS here: https://lnkd.in/ef3f2bGM We will also be on campus today at the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University and UC Irvine for career fairs. Drop by to see us! #whatwedocounts

Why reporting #fraud matters: ? IRS Criminal Investigation takes fraud reporting seriously, and here in the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office, our most significant victim fraud cases come from the public via one of many possible ways to report fraud, including professional connections between our Special Agents and members of the banking community. ? Such was the case for yesterday’s #sentencing of Olufunmi Obaze, who received 366 days of incarceration in federal prison, along with an order to pay more than $707k in restitution to the company she embezzled from.? ? During a roughly year and a half-long #scheme, Obaze fraudulently utilized a company credit card intended to fund activities to support a client business by opening a Stripe merchant account, then funneling the money meant to support the client business into her personal bank account.?Obaze subsequently used that money for personal reasons including lavish vacations, online trading, rent for a luxury apartment, and lease payments for a Mercedes-Benz. ? Tips come from many different sources, and IRS Criminal Investigation works many cases referred to us by partner law enforcement agencies, the civil side of the IRS, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and even directly from the public.?Here are many of the ways you can report suspected fraud: ? Directly to the Internal Revenue Service: https://lnkd.in/e2fR_TH Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://lnkd.in/eAkPiuac DM us: IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office #WhatWeDoCounts

The #COVID pandemic introduced challenges for business owners across the country. To help business owners, the U.S. Government introduced loans and grants such as the?Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the Paycheck Protection Program. Unfortunately, some business owners exploited these programs for personal gain. Such was the case for this business owner, who now faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States, maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false tax returns and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file tax return. “For more than a decade, Mr. Suel evaded his tax responsibilities both as an individual and as a business owner. Even worse than evading his tax obligations, during the COVID pandemic, Mr. Suel fraudulently obtained grants and loans intended to help businesses struggling in the wake of the pandemic and used those funds for personal gain." - Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher #WhatWeDoCounts

We are incredibly proud of Special Agent Trevor McAleenan and Special Agent Michael Lane for making it all the way to the finals for this year's Partnership for Public Service Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Awards!! #WhatWeDoCounts

Yesterday, members from the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office honored the heroes who lost their lives on 9/11 by hiking Monserate Mountain in Fallbrook, CA.?With 1490 feet of climbing, the Mount Monserate Trail includes markers A1 – A11 which represent every 10 floors of the World Trade Center's twin towers, honoring the first responders who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and all those dedicated to saving the lives of others.?The markers were a combined project of Troop 718 Eagle Scout candidate Joseph Greenwood, the North County Fire Protection District, Palomar College Geographic Information Systems program, Fallbrook Village Rotary, and the Fallbrook Land Conservancy. #patriotday #honorthefallen #neverforget

Today marks the kickoff of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) season!! Did you know the #NFL is the most popular sports league bet on in the United States?? ? During the 2024-2025 football season, #sportsbetting is expected to be at an all-time high, perhaps forecasted by February 2024’s #SuperBowlLVIII alone raking in more than $23b in wagers. For those not aware, CALIFORNIA IS NOT one of the 38 states (and Washington, D.C.) ?where sports betting is legally offered through retail and/or online sports books.?Unfortunately, some Californians turn to illegal #bookmakers to facilitate their sports betting desires. Remember Ippei Mizuhara, the former translator for Major League Baseball (MLB)’s Shohei Ohtani??Mizuhara pleaded #guilty this June for stealing $17m from the baseball superstar, then placing a net total loss of $41m in bets through Mathew Bowyer, an #illegal bookie who operated out of Orange County and took wagers from at least 700 bettors.?Bowyer pleaded #guilty this August to running an #illegal gambling operation. While most Americans who place sports bets are recreational gamblers, there is a dark side to the sports betting world.?Illegal gambling activity is often tied to other criminal offenses such as #moneylaundering and #taxevasion, which fall under IRS Criminal Investigation’s authority. "Sports betting has grown exponentially in the past five years and is more common than ever. While online gambling is easily accessible, it’s not always legal. As this year’s football season kicks off, CI special agents are continuing to monitor trends and using our expertise to root out criminal activity related to illegal gambling like money laundering and tax evasion.” - Chief Guy Ficco. The IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office maintains #vigilance for illegal gambling activities in Southern California.?During fiscal years 2020-2024 IRS Criminal Investigation obtained a greater than 90% conviction rate on prosecuted cases involving illegal gambling.?You DO NOT want to be on our #radar.