Legal Issues

Attorney Convicted of Trying to Swindle $1.3 Million From IRS

Attorney Convicted of Trying to Swindle $1.3 Million From IRS

An attorney from the Youngstown, Ohio area has been convicted for his part in an effort to swindle approximately $1.3 million from the IRS.

The details of the fraud scheme were laid out in a six-day trial, with U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson on the bench. According to an official release from the IRS, Robert J. Rohrbaugh, of Canfield, was ultimately convicted of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, aiding and abetting theft of government property, aiding and abetting false claims against the United States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Credit: Guy Cali/Getty Images

Evidence proved that Rohrbaugh used his knowledge of the legal system to help his co-conspirators -- Brandon Mace and Terris Chanley Baker -- obtain a fraudulent federal tax refund check worth $1,352,779.

The offense occurred in 2015, when Mace and Baker initially received the false tax refund check by creating a fictitious business, and filling out fictitious tax forms. 

The duo then contacted Rohrbaugh to deposit the illicit funds in accounts they owned. 

Following the successful deposit, Mace and Baker attempted to launder the money by purchasing multiple luxury vehicles. Furthermore, they paid Rohrbaugh $150,000 for his services. 

Per the IRS, Mace pleaded guilty to his charges in September 2020, while Baker was convicted in an April 2022 jury trial.

Credit: Simple Images/Getty Images

Rohrbaugh will be sentenced on May 16, 2023. 

What do you think about this tax fraud scheme?

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Feature Image Credit: Boonchai Wedmakawand/Getty Images

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Rebekah Barton

Rebekah Barton

Rebekah's search engine optimization career began completely by accident as a college student. Over the course of her career so far, she has "grown up" with the SEO industry, from writing content while juggling classes to managing her own teams of writers and overseeing SEO strategy in subsequent roles. She is excited to bring her passion for high-quality content to CountingWorks, Inc.

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