Tax Fraud

May 22 2013

They face up to 10 years each

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Two Southland men pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge involving a scheme in which stolen identities were used to file phony tax returns, claiming thousands of dollars in refunds.

Michael Williams, 42, of Palmdale, and 34-year-old Mike Niko of Carson entered their pleas before U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer. They face up to 10 years each in prison at sentencing Sept. 9.

Jan 28 2013

Embezzled tens of thousands of dollars

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A former head of one of the nation’s largest union locals was convicted today of federal charges of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the Los Angeles-based labor organization.

A Los Angeles federal jury deliberated for three days before finding Tyrone R. Freeman, 43, guilty of mail fraud, embezzlement and/or theft of labor union assets, false statements and tax fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Jan 24 2013

Filing fraudulent data is all too easy

NEW YORK—Just because they’re already behind bars doesn’t mean they aren’t making out like bandits.

Prisoner tax fraud has ballooned in recent years. In 2010, more than 91,000 inmate returns claimed $758 million in fraudulent refunds, a new audit from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration finds. That’s more than double the previous year.

While the IRS stopped the vast majority of fraudulent refunds from actually getting into the hands of prisoners, $35 million still slipped through the cracks.

Oct 25 2011

Lemus Medical Center

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The owner-operator of a Commerce medical clinic was sentenced to one month behind bars, followed by nine months under home detention, for failing to report to the Internal Revenue Service nearly $90,000 he received as income, prosecutors said today.

Dr. James Lemus, 58, of Shadow Hills was also ordered Monday to pay a fine of $15,000, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Williams.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”