Six individuals have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their filing tax returns by using names of recently deceased taxpayers and then sending refunds to locations they controlled in Florida. The six admitted that the fraud caused the government to lose between $1 million and $2.5 million with more than 10 victims involved in the use of stolen identities. The acts occurred between April 15, 2009 and August 2011.
The six individuals making the pleas were Muaad Salem, Hanan Widdi, Najeh Widdi, Hazem Woodi, Daxesj Patel and Fahim Suleiman. Salem, Najeh Widdi and Woodi entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud; Hanan Widdi pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit mail fraud; Patel entered the same pleas to two counts of submitting false claims and one count of false statements; and Suleiman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit mail fraud; mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The six sent the U.S. Treasury checks that were issued for refunds to co-conspirators in Ohio who sold and distributed the checks for negotiation at various businesses and banking institutions.
Sentencing is scheduled on May 29, 2012, for Najeh Widdi and Patel; on May 30, 2012, for Hanan Widdi and Woodi; and on June 1, 2012, for Salem and Suleiman. The maximum sentence for mail fraud is 20 years in prison while conspiracy to defraud the U.S. carries a 10-year limit. Mail fraud is punishable by a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison while conspiracy to defraud the United States has a 10-year limit. Conspiracy to commit mail fraud, making a false claim against the United States and making a false statement each have a maximum five-year term. Aggravated identity theft has a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two years to follow conviction on any other offense. Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
