Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Return Preparer
The United States has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas seeking to bar a Beaumont, Texas, tax return preparer from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing federal income tax returns for others. According to the complaint, Johnston filed the fabricated return with the IRS, which deposited the inflated refund with a third-party vendor. According to the complaint, Johnston prepared over 3,100 tax returns in aggregate for tax years 2018 through 2020. As a result, the complaint alleges, Johnston has cost the United States significant losses of tax revenue. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant.
justice.govGold in secret vault is traced to Hugo Chvez's former nurse
So Daz allegedly turned to one of the oldest ways of moving vast sums of money anonymously: buying gold. She radically denies having had any gold ingots or any bank account in Liechtenstein, Oliver said. Wire transfers from Panamanian shell companies were routed through CBH to Greenhill and Amblia's accounts at the state-owned Liechtensteinische Landesbank in 2012, according to the Liechtenstein court. However, U.S. prosecutors in their exchanges with Swiss authorities in 2018 suggest the bank had itself been defrauded by Beaumont. The gold bars allegedly belonging to Daz represent just a small fraction of the total amount looted from Venezuela.
Former Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Civil Rights Violation
A former Supervisory Correctional Officer at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Beaumont, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court for aiding and abetting the assault of an inmate. Khristal Ford, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone to 24 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. Ford then told another correctional officer to take care of it and watched as the officer entered the cell and punched A.A. in the head three times without justification. The Department of Justice will not tolerate this abuse of authority, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. Ford did the exact opposite when she aided in the assault and civil rights violations of an inmate.
justice.govFormer Texas Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offense for Assaulting Inmate
Tavoris Bottley, 34, a former Senior Correctional Officer at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Beaumont, Texas, pleaded guilty in court today to assaulting a federal inmate housed at the facility. According to documents filed in connection with the guilty plea, on June 8, 2017, Bottley, while on duty as a federal correctional officer at FCC Beaumont, punched A.A, an inmate, in the face and head multiple times without justification. Bottley admitted that he then punched A.A., even though the inmate did not pose any threat at the time. This conduct by a federal correctional officer erodes public trust, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who violate the civil rights of inmates.Correctional officers have an obligation to be professional said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown of the Eastern District of Texas.
justice.govFifth death linked to storm that walloped Houston area
Authorities raised the storm's death toll to five, saying it is believed to have killed a 52-year-old Florida man who was found dead Thursday in his stranded pickup truck along Interstate 10 near Beaumont, which is near Texas' border with Louisiana. Jefferson County spokeswoman Allison Getz said that although floodwaters seeped into Mark Dukaj's truck, investigators don't believe he drowned, though they do believe his death is storm-related. An autopsy will determine the cause.
chicagotribune.comLife-threatening flooding from Imelda impacting southeast Texas
Major, life-threatening flooding is ongoing through southeast Texas due to Tropical Depression Imelda. Some areas have seen anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain over the past twelve hours. With more heavy rainfall in the forecast, some isolated areas are still expected to see upwards of 35 inches of rain. To put things into perspective, Beaumont, Texas (approximately 90 miles east-northeast of Houston), has received over 16 inches of rain within about twelve hours. Roanoke has received less than 16 inches of rainfall since the beginning of May.