U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert | U.S. Department of Justice
Richard Jason Mountford, a former resident of Monterey County, California, and now living in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his involvement in a tax fraud scheme. U.S. Chief District Judge Troy L. Nunley delivered the sentence.
The announcement was made by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California.
“Tax fraud schemes like the defendant’s cost the government millions of dollars a year and can lead to substantial prison time,” stated U.S. Attorney Talbert. He emphasized the commitment of his office to work with IRS Criminal Investigation and other law enforcement agencies to tackle tax fraud.
Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher from IRS Criminal Investigation's Los Angeles Field Office commented on Mountford's actions: “Richard Mountford is a serial tax cheat who repeatedly schemed to steal from American taxpayers, including two people whose identities he used to file fraudulent tax returns, to the sum of nearly $875,000 in refunds.” Hatcher added that such activities undermine the tax system and increase burdens on honest taxpayers.
Court documents reveal that between 2016 and 2020, Mountford conspired with another individual to submit false income tax returns claiming refunds they were not entitled to receive. They filed these false returns under their own names as well as those of two unsuspecting individuals, falsely reporting wages from a non-existent employer and claiming refunds based on these fictitious withholdings. Many returns also inaccurately reported alimony payments to inflate refund amounts.
As a result of this fraudulent activity, Mountford and his accomplice obtained $873,723.53 from the IRS. Of this amount, Mountford deposited $757,075.53 into his personal bank accounts and spent nearly $360,000 on new vehicles. Additionally, he distributed approximately $170,000 in cash and gold bars to his co-conspirator as compensation for their role in the scheme.
Beyond serving time in prison, Judge Nunley ordered Mountford to complete one year of supervised release and pay restitution totaling $757,075.53 to the United States.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation with prosecution led by Trial Attorneys John C. Gerardi and Charles A. O’Reilly from the Tax Division along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma.
