IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office

During the pandemic, scammers saw federal aid as an opportunity to steal. Fraudsters are now finding out their schemes are leading to prison time after #IRSCI investigations come to fruition. #IRSCI has catalyzed 545 CARES Act fraud investigations involving more than $5.6 billion in employment retention credit (ERC). ERC was designed for businesses who continued to pay employees while being shut down due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Read more about Lakisha Pearson of Holly Springs, Mississippi, who was sentenced to 52 months in jail and ordered to pay nearly $16 million in restitution: https://lnkd.in/gJiQj8as #COVID #FollowTheMoney #LawEnforcement #1811

With three weeks left until the filing deadline, we are posting part two of our 2025 Scams and Schemes video series. This video has the last three scams we are tracking, but there may be more out there. Please remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior. #FilingSeason #IRSCI #CriminalInvestigation #CI

The CARES Act was created in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 #pandemic. Unfortunately, a program meant to render aid to those in need, quickly became exploited by criminals. To date, more than 1,000 people have been indicted for their alleged COVID-related #crimes, and 569 individuals have been sentenced to an average of 31 months in federal prison. Read how a Southwest Virginia man, later sentenced to 57 months in prison, conspired with at least 30 others in a scheme to defraud the government of more than $499,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits at https://lnkd.in/gnR-Kkjm. #irsci #COVID #fraud #FollowTheMoney #lawenforcement #1811

Elbin Salvador ARCHAGA-AYESTAS, aka “Cuco,” was sentenced to 50 months in prison and four years supervised release for distributing fentanyl and international money laundering. ARCHAGA-AYESTAS, a Honduran national, resided in Oakland and traveled to the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco to sell drugs. This sentencing is the result of an IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office and Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. Read more about how #IRSCI and #DEA takes deadly fentanyl off the streets by clicking the image below. #WhatWeDoCounts #FollowTheMoney

IRS-CI names Gary Shapley as deputy chief Gary Shapley was named deputy chief for #IRSCI March 19. In this new role, Shapley will oversee 20 field offices and 14 foreign posts, including more than 2,000 special agents investigating tax fraud and other financial crimes. Shapley will begin his role as IRS-CI deputy chief following a detail to the U.S. Department of Treasury as a senior advisor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Gary has been instrumental in many of our cases with an international nexus, and he brings a wealth of knowledge to the role of IRS-CI deputy chief,” said IRS-CI Chief Guy Ficco. To read the full story, click the image below:

As we continue through tax filing season, the IRS Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge shares some scams we've noticed this year. In this video, he shares two of five. Stay tuned for part 2.

A TikTok video advises you to manually fill out a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, with incorrect income and withholding amounts and to change the name of your employer. Is this #FraudOrNot? This is #Fraud. Altering your Form W-2 is illegal. Learn more about this scheme by clicking the image below. Come back next Friday for #FraudOrNot? and learn how to protect yourself this tax season.

A TikTok video advises you to manually fill out a?Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, with incorrect income and withholding amounts and to change the name of your employer. Is this?#FraudOrNot? Respond “Fraud” or “Not” in the comments below and check back this afternoon to learn more.

A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict to Rowland Marcus Andrade for money laundering and wire fraud related to an investment scheme of a cryptocurrency called AML Bitcoin. Andrade made false representations about AML Bitcoin to procure investments and then used ill-gotten gains to purchase property and luxury automobiles. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Click the image below to read more about this #IRSCI and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) case. #FollowTheMoney #WhatWeDoCounts?

While not always indicative of #fraud, it could be. IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) has investigated several cases where a return preparer used other employees’ PTINs to file fraudulent tax returns for clients so they would receive large refunds or reduced taxes, like this?case from the IRS-CI Denver Field Office: https://lnkd.in/erWsPbvB When choosing a tax return preparer, you should verify the preparer has a PTIN and ensure it matches the preparer signing your tax return. IRS has an?RPO Preparer Directory?(https://lnkd.in/e_-3gmv) where PTIN information can be confirmed. You should also review the preparer’s other credentials. Come back next Friday for #FraudOrNot? and learn how to protect yourself this tax season.