A North Royalton man was charged in federal court with fraudulently claiming more than $133,000 in tax refunds to which he was not entitled, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja and Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation.
Amin Mohammad, 45, was charged via criminal information with two counts of theft of public funds.
Mohammad operated a gas station and other energy-related businesses in the Cleveland area. He incorporated Goojee, Inc. in 2007 and Mejri Oil, Inc. in 2010. Neither company had a specific business purpose and bank accounts for the companies had minimal activity, according to the information.
Mohammad falsely reported the companies sold a combined 833,495 gallons of kerosene in tax year 2010. He falsely claimed fuel tax credits to which he was not entitled, seeking a $68,240 tax refund on behalf of Goojee and a $65,174 tax refund on behalf of Mejri, according to the information.
Assistant U.S Attorney Robert J. Patton is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the IRS-CI.
If convicted, the court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
