Three Individuals Sentenced for Their Participation in Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), announced that defendant Ralph Armand, 29, of Miramar, Florida, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for his participation in a tax refund scheme. Defendant Dwayne Solomon, 35, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced on December 7, 2012, to 24 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Jude Alcindor, Jr., aka “Junior,” 26, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced on October 5, 2012, to one year and a day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release.

Alcindor and Solomon previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government by filing a false claim, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 286. Defendant Armand was convicted of the same charge by a jury on September 27, 2012.

According to court documents, the defendants conspired to present a false claim to the IRS for a federal income tax refund in the amount of $226,930. On April 13, 2011, defendants Alcindor and Armand met with a cooperating individual (CI) and showed the CI a color photocopy of a federal income tax refund check obtained through identity fraud. On April 15, 2011, defendant Solomon, in order to have the check converted to cash, gave the CI the actual income tax refund check in the name of B.S. B.S. was a deceased individual whose identity had been stolen. In addition, Solomon told the CI that he had more tax refund checks available once this check cleared. Solomon offered to pay the CI 40 percent of the refund check amount(s) to have the check(s) cashed. On April 28, 2011, defendants Alcindor and Armand traveled to Miramar to receive the proceeds of the cashed refund check but were detained, questioned, and later arrested by federal law enforcement authorities.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of FBI and IRS-CID. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.