November 5, 2015

Delaware County Man Charged with Running Second Tax Fraud Scheme

PHILADELPHIA—Mohamed Mansaray, 39, of Springfield, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment, unsealed today, in an identity theft and tax fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment includes 10 counts of wire fraud, nine counts of aggravated identity theft, and 10 counts of aiding or assisting in preparation or filing of false income tax returns. Mansaray was arrested this morning.

According to the indictment, defendant Mansaray defrauded the Internal Revenue Service by preparing and filing fictitious federal income tax returns that used the names and Social Security numbers of children as false dependents. The indictment alleges that Mansaray charged clients $800 to $1,000 to falsely include a dependent on their income tax return. By falsely adding dependents to the returns, Mansaray wrongfully claimed for clients a tax exemption for each false dependent, the child tax credit, the child and dependent care credit, and the earned income tax credit.

On July 2, 2014, Mansaray pleaded guilty to an information that charged him with conspiracy and 13 counts of aiding or assisting in preparation or filing of false income tax returns in a similar scheme. Mansaray admitted falsifying federal income tax returns for clients by fraudulently adding dependents to returns for the tax years 2008 through 2012. He is awaiting sentencing for those charges.

If convicted, the defendant faces a possible advisory sentencing guideline range of 51 to 57 months in prison for the new charges, including a mandatory minimum terms of 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft, possible fines, up to three years of supervised release, and a $3,000 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen M. Klotz.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presume innocent unless and until proven guilty.