Daniel Liburdi of Miami pleaded guilty on Jul. 28 to one count of filing a false tax return and agreed to pay $34,846,381 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Liburdi faces up to three years in federal prison and has also agreed to the civil forfeiture of three real properties in Miami Beach and the U.S. Virgin Islands valued at approximately $37.5 million, two Ferraris and a Land Rover Range Rover valued at about $1.1 million, and financial accounts totaling over $414,000. His sentencing is scheduled for August 18.
According to court documents, Liburdi misreported his income on his 2021, 2022, and 2023 tax returns by claiming that business income was sourced from a U.S. Virgin Islands-based entity rather than U.S.-based entities that actually generated the income. This allowed him to claim exclusions he was not eligible for under EDC Beneficiary rules and resulted in nearly $10 million in misreported taxes for 2023 alone. The total additional tax loss from his filings for all three years exceeded $24 million.
“Liburdi’s actions represent a flagrant disregard for our nation’s tax laws as he engaged in a deliberate scheme to evade taxes, defraud the U.S. Treasury, and exploit public coffers for his personal gain,” said United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Florida Field Office, said: “This defendant earned tens of millions of dollars in income and then devised an elaborate scheme to not pay taxes… this case demonstrates that high net-worth individuals, like all Americans, are held accountable for filing false documents with the IRS.” Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael S. Calvo added: “Fraud of this magnitude is not a victimless crime—it undermines public trust… By forging strong partnerships we ensure thorough investigations and hold offenders accountable.”
The Department of Justice recently announced the creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division as part of efforts supporting President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud—a government initiative chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance aimed at eliminating fraud within federal benefit programs.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.