Mobile Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bankruptcy, Tax Perjury Charges

United States Attorney Kenyen Brown announces that Simon Ndongo of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of charges of falsification of documents in relation to a bankruptcy case and tax perjury. Ndongo, a former city of Mobile accountant, was also ordered to pay restitution of $278,055.47 to Bank of America; $50,131.33 to Citibank; $5,205.29 to JPMorgan Chase; $1,509.93 to Discover Card; $38,088.79 to the bankruptcy court; and 36,872 to the Internal Revenue Service.

The guilty plea concerns Ndongo’s 2008 federal tax return, which falsely claimed the First Time Home Buyer Credit for purchasing a home in 2008, when he had not in fact purchased a home that year. Ndongo filed that false tax return with the Internal Revenue Service.

Ndongo also pled guilty to charges that he falsely answered questions about his investments in his bankruptcy schedules, which obstructed the proper administration of the bankruptcy case, Case No. 08-11173, by concealing the investments from the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Alabama, the trustee, and creditors. The plea agreement also required Ndongo to make restitution to the victims of crimes charges in other counts of the indictment to which he did not plead guilty.

The case was investigated by agents of the Mobile Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile Office of Criminal Investigation, Internal Revenue Service. United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown stated that the prosecution shows that the Department of Justice understands its duty to work to ensure that honest taxpayers are not taken advantage of and to endeavor to keep the bankruptcy system clean. Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pilot, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, stated, “Fraud and dishonesty in bankruptcy proceedings undermine the integrity of those important proceedings. Concealing assets from the bankruptcy court and not paying taxes is a gross violation of civic duty and deserves punishment such as that handed down today.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vicki Davis, Michele O’Brien and Charles Baer on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.