Source: United States Department of Justice

A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for evading more than $5.5 million in taxes, interest, and penalties that he owed the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, David Albert Fletcher, of Deltona, owned and operated furniture liquidations businesses, including Century Liquidators. For tax years 2004 through 2013, Fletcher did not timely file his federal income tax returns or pay the taxes he owed. After an audit, the IRS assessed a total of $1.7 million in taxes, interest, and penalties against him.

To evade collection of these taxes, Fletcher concealed his income and assets from the IRS. For example, Fletcher used nominees to hide his purchases of luxury vehicles, including Rolls Royces. Fletcher also filed false income tax returns that understated his income by several million dollars, and when an IRS special agent interviewed him, Fletcher falsely represented the amount of income he earned.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger for the Middle District of Florida ordered Fletcher to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $7,112,689 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Zachary A. Cobb and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Virginia man with obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns.

According to the indictment, Omini Tete Riman, of Woodbridge, was an information technology specialist. He allegedly filed false 2013 and 2014 tax returns, reporting that he earned nearly $2 million in income and had almost $1 million withheld in taxes. Based on those false statements, Riman allegedly claimed nearly $400,000 in refunds, which the IRS paid.

The indictment states that starting in 2016, after notifying Riman about his outstanding tax liabilities, the IRS attempted to recover the funds from him. However, Riman allegedly took numerous steps to frustrate the IRS’s collection efforts. For example, it is alleged he transferred his property to a trust, opened bank accounts in the trust’s name and directed that his wages be deposited into the trust’s bank account. It is further alleged that he also submitted false documents to the IRS, including false documents which purported to show that an IRS employee owed him money and that Riman had canceled the debt, which, if accurate, would have caused the IRS employee’s own tax liability to increase.  

In addition, the indictment alleges that for tax years 2018 through 2023, Riman knew he was legally required to file tax returns but willfully did not do so timely. In fact, after being notified that he was the target of a grand jury investigation in 2025, Riman allegedly filed tax returns for 2017 through 2020 which falsely reported that he had earned no income during those years. 

If convicted, Riman faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of obstructing the IRS and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. 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 U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement regarding her creation of a 2^nd Amendment Task Force at the Department of Justice:

“The prior administration placed an undue burden on gun owners and vendors by targeting law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. The Department of Justice’s new 2^nd Amendment Task Force will combine department-wide policy and litigation resources to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.”

Background:

• This follows the DOJ and ATF’s Monday repeal of the Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy and the review of Final Rule 2021R-08F, related to stabilizing braces, and Final Rule 2022R-17F, related to the definition of “engaging in the business” of firearms dealing. Read more here.
• Read the full memo establishing the 2^nd Amendment Task Force here.