FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY, JULY 14, 2006 WWW.USDOJ.GOV TAX (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 Federal Court in Seattle Permanently Enjoins Lorenzo Lamantia WASHINGTON The Justice Department announced today that a federal court in Seattle, Wash., has permanently enjoined Institute for Global Prosperity co-director, Lorenzo Lamantia, from promoting an arrangement that the governments complaint called a tax-fraud scheme. The government complaint alleges that Lamantia sold audiotapes, CDs, and tickets to offshore seminars on wealth-building strategies charging customers as much as $18,750. At the seminars, vendors allegedly promoted bogus trust packages and other schemes designed to conceal customers income. Global Prosperity allegedly received more than $40 million from selling these products and services.
On Dec. 15, 2005, Lamantia pled guilty to felony tax charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States by impeding the Internal Revenue Service. Information on the criminal case is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/txdv05674.htm.
Misuse of trusts tops the IRSs most recent list of Dirty Dozen tax schemes. http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=120803,00.html. Since 2001, the Justice Department has sought and obtained injunctions against more than 190 tax-scam promoters and tax preparers. Information about these cases is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2006.htm. Information about the Justice Departments Tax Division can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax. 06-436
Source: US Department of Justice
