Three men were sentenced to federal prison on Thursday for their roles in a stolen identity tax refund scheme that defrauded the U.S. Treasury and IRS. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas confirmed the sentences for Imafedia Adevokhai, Michael Martin, and Osazuwa Peter Okunoghae.
Adevokhai, 47, of Alpharetta, Georgia, received nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering. He was also ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and forfeit $3,500. Martin, 52, of Texarkana, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy. He faces restitution payments of $90,380.60 and forfeits $121,623.41. Okunoghae, 46, of Houston, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. He was ordered to pay $451,117.63 in restitution and forfeit the same amount.
The men were involved in a conspiracy where they used stolen personal information to file fraudulent tax returns, claiming nearly $5 million in refunds. The scheme resulted in losses of $390,220.40 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS.
Adevokhai was responsible for preparing and submitting many of the fraudulent returns, while Martin and Okunoghae laundered the ill-gotten proceeds. The conspiracy involved moving funds through U.S. financial institutions and into foreign accounts.
Several victims of the scheme were identified, and in January 2019, additional individuals from Nigeria were charged for their roles in the operation. The case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat tax fraud and identity theft.
