Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two men were convicted today by a federal jury for their roles in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured. A third man allegedly involved in the same fatal smuggling incident was extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face justice in the case.

“These convictions and extradition represent the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting the leaders, organizers, and key facilitators of alien smuggling networks that bring people illegally — at significant risk to life — into the United States,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is a powerful example of the crucial work of Joint Task Force Alpha, which has been enhanced and empowered to go after cartels and transnational criminal organizations and to eliminate the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Felipe Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito, and Negro, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, conspired with others as part of an alien smuggling organization that loaded approximately 66 aliens into a tractor trailer, which lacked functioning air conditioning, and drove the aliens north across the U.S.-Mexico border and on a Texas interstate. On June 27, 2022, as the temperature rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, according to the evidence presented at trial, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased. The defendants conspired with others to facilitate the travel of the aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, charging the aliens and their families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 USD for the perilous journey.

Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. For both counts resulting in death, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison at their sentencing on June 27. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

In addition, extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities resulted in the extradition of Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of a Guatemala-based alien smuggling organization, for his alleged role in the San Antonio mass casualty incident.

“The extradition of Miranda-Orozco to U.S. custody is a major step in the takedown of a large and complex human smuggling organization he is alleged to be a part of,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Just as we’ve shown throughout the trial of Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega, we will continue to prosecute this case aggressively — seeking justice for those who have perished, and holding accountable those who illegally value profit over human life.”

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aggressively targets human smugglers, no matter where they operate or how far they think they can hide,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “These verdicts reflect the scope and depth of our human smuggling investigations. From country of origin to final destination, our special agents have worked tirelessly to track these criminals down and dismantle their entire smuggling network. One by one we are seeing the consequences of human smuggling as the justice system prevails.”

According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States, charging the families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 USD for the deadly journey. In particular, Miranda-Orozco is alleged to be responsible for smuggling three migrants who perished in the tractor trailer.

In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco, 48, was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. Miranda-Orozco was indicted under seal in the Western District of Texas (WDTX), and his indictment was unsealed after he was arrested. Miranda-Orozco made his initial appearance Monday in Federal District Court in San Antonio and was arraigned on the indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death, three counts of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, and one count of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.

The convictions and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s invaluable team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), provided crucial assistance in this matter.

The case against Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas. The case against Miranda-Orozco is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

The Justice Department thanks its Guatemalan law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Miranda-Orozco, and the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office and Anti-Human Smuggling Unit for making the extradition possible.

The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Note: View the forfeiture complaint.

The United States today filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Southern District of Florida against a Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, which was smuggled from the United States under false pretenses and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros (Maduro) and his representatives in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (the Maduro Regime) in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws. The aircraft was seized last year in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States.

Today’s filing alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was purchased and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions against Maduro and the Maduro Regime. According to the complaint, the aircraft is forfeitable based on violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and money laundering violations.

Since 2014, the United States has imposed sanctions against targeted individuals, entities, and sectors in Venezuela to address the increasing political oppression and corruption in Venezuela by the Maduro Regime. On March 8, 2015, the President found that the situation in Venezuela constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and declared a national emergency pursuant to IEEPA to deal with that threat. See Executive Order (E.O.) 13692.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019, President Trump took additional steps regarding the national emergency declared in E.O. 13692. On Aug. 5, 2019, the President issued E.O. 13884 “in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolás Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful arrest and detention of Venezuelan citizens, interference with freedom of expression, including for members of the media, and ongoing attempts to undermine Interim President Juan Guaidó and the Venezuelan National Assembly’s exercise of legitimate authority in Venezuela.”

E.O. 13884 prohibits the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order, including the Government of Venezuela and the Maduro Regime; the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person; and, any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in the order.

The complaint alleges that on or about Jan. 23, 2023, a company purportedly based in the Caribbean island country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Foreign Company 1) entered into a contract to purchase the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft from a company in Florida for $13,250,000. The complaint further alleges that the individual in charge of purchasing the aircraft purportedly on behalf of Foreign Company 1 was a Venezuelan national (Foreign Principal 1), who concealed the fact that he was representing or associated with the Maduro Regime.

The complaint further alleges that Foreign Company 1 merely acted as a nominee owner of the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft as it was formed shortly before the purchase, in June 2022, and was struck from the register of St. Vincent companies for failure to pay annual fees two years later, in May 2024.

The complaint further alleges that funds used to purchase the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft were sent via multiple wire transfers from different countries, including Malaysia, using both U.S. dollars and euros, and that Foreign Company 1 used an email address with a “.ae” domain from the United Arab Emirates to correspond with the Florida-based seller even though Foreign Company 1’s representatives allegedly had Spanish names and some of the emails contained the phrase “Enviado desde mi iPhone,” or Spanish for “Sent from my iPhone.”

The complaint further alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was flown from the United States to St. Vincent on or about April 3, 2023, and approximately five hours later, it departed for Caracas, Venezuela, piloted by two members of the Venezuelan Presidential Honor Guard, and accompanied by a second aircraft that operates out of a Venezuelan military base.

The complaint further alleges that, since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft has flown to and from Venezuela at least 21 times and Maduro has been seen traveling with the aircraft on official visits to other countries, including for a December 2023 prisoner exchange with the United States.

As alleged, in March 2024, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was flown to the Dominican Republic for service and maintenance where Foreign Company 1 held itself out to be the owner, concealing from the Dominican-based jet maintenance company that the aircraft had been purchased and operated for benefit of the Maduro Regime.

The complaint further alleges that on at least two occasions in May 2024, Foreign Principal 1, purportedly acting on behalf of Foreign Company 1, and other Venezuelan individuals, including military personnel, attempted to retrieve the Dassault Falcon aircraft from the Dominican Republic.

Following the attempts by the Venezuelan individuals to retrieve the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, the U.S. government obtained a seizure warrant and requested that the Dominican Republic seize, detain, and transfer the Dassault Falcon aircraft. Pursuant to U.S. request, the aircraft was transported back to the United States on Sept. 2, 2024. That same day, the Maduro Regime issued a statement admitting the Dassault Falcon aircraft “has been used by” Maduro.

A second Dassault Falcon aircraft identified by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as blocked property of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, and illegally serviced and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions, also was seized in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States government on Feb. 6, 2025.

The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance in working with authorities in the Dominican Republic. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice

An indictment was unsealed today charging five former principals of Theia Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based aerospace start-up company, with conspiracy and fraud.

According to the indictment, Erlend Olson, John Gallagher, Stephen Buscher, Joseph Fargnoli, and Jamil Swati held various executive positions at the company, including chief executive officer, executive vice president, chief financial officer, chief technology officer, and head of strategic investment, respectively. They allegedly perpetrated a multi-year scheme to defraud investors and lenders out of $250 million, and Olson evaded more than $3.9 million in personal federal income taxes.

According to the indictment, Theia planned to launch 112 satellites starting in 2022 at a cost of $10 billion to $15 billion. Theia’s principals allegedly originally planned to raise the requisite funds from various nation-states by promising perpetual data and analytics for an upfront payment of $2 billion. However, from Theia’s founding in 2015 through its placement into receivership in 2021, Theia was allegedly unsuccessful in obtaining any funding except for approximately $250 million in loans and investments received from institutional and individual investors and lenders. To secure the funding, Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati’s fraud scheme allegedly included making materially false statements about revenue from non-existent government contracts, providing multiple false financial statements, including a fake $6 billion escrow account statement, and making false representations about Theia’s technical capabilities.

The indictment further alleges that the IRS assessed over a million dollars in taxes, penalties, and interest against Olson for tax years 2009 through 2011, which Olson acknowledged in 2018. Instead of paying the outstanding debt to the IRS, which he acknowledged he owed, Olson allegedly directed his compensation from Theia to a nominee entity. Olson then allegedly used the nominee entity to pay personal expenses such as a private jet membership, $64,500 annual rent payments for his home, a new Land Rover, personal debts, and a pair of condominiums in Las Vegas. Olson now allegedly owes $1.6 million to the IRS related to those years. In addition, Olson allegedly also used the nominee entity to conceal his income from the IRS for 2018 through 2020.

Olson, Gallagher, Buscher, Fargnoli, and Swati are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for the overall scheme, and additionally charged with multiple wire or mail fraud counts arising from their various misrepresentations to investors. Olson is also charged with four counts of attempted tax evasion.

If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy and for each wire fraud or mail fraud count. Olson would face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count. Each would also face a period of supervised release, restitution, monetary penalties, and forfeiture. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the FDIC Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Alexis Hughes of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Ross and Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Miami man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with others to defraud the United States by concealing millions of dollars in assets and income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 1985 and 2020, Dan Rotta hid more than $20 million in assets in dozens of secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte, and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were held in his own name, in the names of sham structures, and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta earned tens of millions of dollars of income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns and that he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. He caused a substantial tax loss to the IRS.

Rotta employed increasingly elaborate schemes to keep his accounts hidden. Over the years, he kept his accounts open, in part, by falsely representing that he was not a U.S. citizen, leveraging his Brazilian citizenship to claim he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil.

Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta closed his UBS account and moved his funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.

In 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, Rotta nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that his co-conspirator, a Brazilian national and resident, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.

Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS began auditing Rotta. During the audit, Rotta falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from foreign nationals. Rotta provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from the foreign nationals to corroborate his claims. During the audit, Rotta continued to use the funds in his foreign accounts to fund his lifestyle in the United States, but to conceal his use of the funds from the IRS, he often routed transfers from his foreign accounts through nominee accounts and attorney trust fund accounts in the United States.

The IRS did not believe Rotta’s story and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, the nominee account owners traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys.

In 2017, after Rotta presented evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that Rotta owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the “loan repayments” were fake: the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid went back into accounts that Rotta controlled shortly after the IRS dismissed the suit. Also as part of the conspiracy, Rotta had his U.S.-based attorneys create sham trust structures that he used to transfer his assets to the United States without alerting the IRS. On paper, it appeared that Rotta’s co-conspirator funded the trusts for Rotta’s benefit. In reality, Rotta funded the trusts with transfers from Swiss accounts.

In 2019, Rotta became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. To avoid criminal liability, Rotta applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who failed to comply with their tax and reporting obligations can make timely, accurate, and complete disclosures of their conduct, which may offer a path to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. Rotta made false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming that the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to others, and that any funds provided to Rotta were non-taxable gifts. Rotta also claimed that the nominee account owner gifted Rotta money because the nominee had no children to benefit from the funds. In fact, the nominee had two children.

Rotta is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.

Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., and dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly and Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell and William Montague of the Tax Division, as well as Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

A Miami man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with others to defraud the United States by concealing millions of dollars in assets and income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 1985 and 2020, Dan Rotta hid more than $20 million in assets in dozens of secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte, and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were held in his own name, in the names of sham structures, and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta earned tens of millions of dollars of income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns and that he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. He caused a substantial tax loss to the IRS.

Rotta employed increasingly elaborate schemes to keep his accounts hidden. Over the years, he kept his accounts open, in part, by falsely representing that he was not a U.S. citizen, leveraging his Brazilian citizenship to claim he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil.

Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta closed his UBS account and moved his funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.

In 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, Rotta nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that his co-conspirator, a Brazilian national and resident, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.

Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS began auditing Rotta. During the audit, Rotta falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from foreign nationals. Rotta provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from the foreign nationals to corroborate his claims. During the audit, Rotta continued to use the funds in his foreign accounts to fund his lifestyle in the United States, but to conceal his use of the funds from the IRS, he often routed transfers from his foreign accounts through nominee accounts and attorney trust fund accounts in the United States.

The IRS did not believe Rotta’s story and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, the nominee account owners traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys.

In 2017, after Rotta presented evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that Rotta owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the “loan repayments” were fake: the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid went back into accounts that Rotta controlled shortly after the IRS dismissed the suit. Also as part of the conspiracy, Rotta had his U.S.-based attorneys create sham trust structures that he used to transfer his assets to the United States without alerting the IRS. On paper, it appeared that Rotta’s co-conspirator funded the trusts for Rotta’s benefit. In reality, Rotta funded the trusts with transfers from Swiss accounts.

In 2019, Rotta became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. To avoid criminal liability, Rotta applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who failed to comply with their tax and reporting obligations can make timely, accurate, and complete disclosures of their conduct, which may offer a path to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. Rotta made false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming that the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to others, and that any funds provided to Rotta were non-taxable gifts. Rotta also claimed that the nominee account owner gifted Rotta money because the nominee had no children to benefit from the funds. In fact, the nominee had two children.

Rotta is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.

Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., and dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly and Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell and William Montague of the Tax Division, as well as Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.