A former director of inspection and code enforcement in Kenner, La., was recently sentenced to 46 months in prison.
James Mohamad was charged with conspiracy to file false tax returns, along with using an interstate facility with the intention of engaging in illegal activity, according to an April 6 news release.
"James Mohamad jeopardized the safety of countless homeowners who trusted him for more than a decade," IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey said in the release.
Mohamad was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk, the release reported. Mohamad pleaded guilty to two charges, including conspiring to file false tax returns and using an interstate facility with the intention of engaging in illegal activity. He was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, $314,902 in restitution to the IRS and a $200 special assessment fee.
Following his release from prison, Mohamad will be subject to a three-year period of supervised release, the release said.
"James Mohamad intentionally defrauded the government by filing false individual tax returns and paying bribes to public officials, omitting substantial amounts of income," Dorsey added, according to the release. "The sentencing shows that no one is above the law and that those who abuse their public positions and trust to commit illegal acts will be held accountable."
Mohamad reportedly bribed the New Orleans assistant chief mechanical inspector in the Safety and Permits Department in return for false permits for Mohamad's HVAC jobs, the release said.
"Those homeowners were unaware he was taking dangerous shortcuts in bribing a city official, hiding behind the legitimate permits of other contractors and further concealing the dangers by inspecting his own work," Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans Douglas A. Williams Jr. said in the release. "We thank our partners, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District, Internal Revenue Service, Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General, who helped construct a strong case to put this con man out of business."
Mohamad's actions not only defrauded the government but also jeopardized the safety of countless homeowners who trusted him for more than a decade, the release said. This sentencing serves as a reminder that those who abuse their public positions and trust to commit illegal acts will be held accountable.
