Starting from the top, let’s see what most impressed IRS:CI this year:
Since the pandemic, the IRS has pursued individuals involved with tax fraud and other tax crimes related to COVID-19 relief funds. In this case, Andrew Hoang Do a former member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, charged while overseeing a county budget of approximately $9 billion.
Beginning in 2020, Do used his position on the board to direct more than $10 million to a charity, Viet America Society (VAS), with which his daughter Rhianna Do was associated. Until 2024, when he resigned under suspicion, Do received more than $550,000 in kickbacks and bribes from the charity. Funds were funneled to his daughter, who later admitted to her role in the scheme. Do and his wife used some of the money to support properties they owned in Orange County. The funds were originally intended to provide meals for disabled and elderly residents.
The scheme unraveled after contractors were told to hire Rhianna Do, prompting an Orange County supervisor to push for a federal investigation. Do was sentenced to five years in federal prison. His daughter, who was a law student at the time, entered into a diversion program requiring her to remain in law school or obtain employment.
Michael Houser carried out a long-running embezzlement scheme that eventually caught up with him. As an employee of Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises, Houser had significant access to financial systems and used that access to steal funds from the Muscogee Nation.
The Muscogee Nation operates entertainment facilities throughout eastern Oklahoma and beyond. Houser served as the accounts payable manager for the operation. Between 2016 and 2024, he stole approximately $25 million, in part by creating payment requests which were routed to a bank accounts under his control.
Houser also failed to report the stolen funds to the IRS, filing false income tax returns that understated his income. In addition to restitution exceeding more than $25 million to the Muscogee Nation and the IRS, Houser agreed to forfeit property including a boat and trailer, a Lexus, a Cadillac, seven bank accounts, watches, jewelry and a proceeds from the sale of his personal residence. Fun while it lasted? Houser was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison.
If you are on the wrong side of IRS:CI, time matters. Understanding your position early can influence how a case unfolds.
If you are facing allegations involving a tax scam, fraud, creating false bank statements or unreported income, speaking with a criminal tax attorney early can be critical. At Robert J. Fedor, Esq., L.L.C., we provide legal representation for individuals navigating IRS criminal investigations. Contact our legal team today at 440-250-9709. We serve clients internationally and throughout Northeast Ohio, Chicago and New York City from our offices in Cleveland and Chicago.
Laws governing state and federal tax crimes are often complex. Additional background is available in the firm's ebook, "Will I Be Charged with Criminal Tax Fraud?", which examines how criminal tax cases are charged and prosecuted.