ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a Emanuel Guobadia, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, who was convicted following a jury trial of wire fraud and identity theft, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Marangola and Richard Resnick, who prosecuted the case, stated that the defendant obtained the personal information of thousands of individuals across the country and used that information to file over 880 fraudulent tax returns. The refunds were transferred through victims’ accounts in Rochester, NY and laundered into the Guobadia’s bank account in Georgia.
In total, the defendant attempted to obtain $2,800,000 in fraudulent tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service denied most of the requests.
“People who try to defraud the IRS are cheating all other law-abiding taxpayers," said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “They are committing a crime, and as today’s sentence shows, they are risking serious jail time. Fittingly, once out of jail, they will still owe the taxes and-following interest and possible civil penalties-then some."
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, New York Field Office. #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
