A U.S. jury has convicted a Canadian man on several charges in connection with a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud U.S. tax authorities.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday that Kevin Cyster, 52, of Burlington, Ont., has been convicted on charges of conspiracy, making a false claim against the U.S. government, and illegally transferring stolen money in foreign commerce, after a six-day trial before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.
Cyster will be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2016, by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank Geraci Jr., who presided over the trial. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a US$7 million fine.
Cyster “was a ringleader of a group of Canadian citizens who forged Internal Revenue Service (IRS) forms to falsely claim that almost US$10 million in income had been withheld on their behalf by various Canadian financial institutions,” the Justice Dept. said in a statement.
The group then filed false federal income tax returns seeking refunds based on the fictitious withholding amounts, the Justice Dept. added.
While some of the fraudulent returns were spotted, more than US$3.5 million in refunds were sent to Cyster and his co-conspirators before the fraud was detected.