Former California Man Sentenced for Tax Fraud

A former California resident was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for conspiring to file false claims against the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2016 to 2020, Richard Jason Mountford, now of Las Vegas, conspired with another person to submit false individual income tax returns seeking refunds to which they were not entitled. Mountford and his co-conspirator filed false income tax returns in their own names, as well as in the names of two other unwitting individuals, that falsely reported they received wages from which taxes were withheld, and then claimed a refund based on those withholdings. Most of the returns filed as part of the scheme also falsely reported the payment of alimony to increase the refund amount.

As a result of his criminal conduct, Mountford and his co-conspirator received $873,723.53 from the IRS. Mountford deposited $757,075.53 of those funds into his own bank accounts and subsequently purchased nearly $360,000 worth of new cars. Mountford also distributed about $170,000 in cash and gold bars to his co‑conspirator as compensation for his role in the scheme.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley for the Eastern District of California ordered Mountford to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $757,075.53 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys John C. Gerardi and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.