News / International
Zimbabwean man jailed 6 years for US tax fraud
09 Mar 2014 at 11:10hrs | Views
25-YEAR-OLD Cincinnati man was sentenced to almost six years in prison Thursday. Tawanda Marimbire was jailed for his role in a fraudulent tax-refund scheme which sent most of the stolen funds to Zimbabwe.
Several of Tawanda Marimbire's co-conspirators fled to Zimbabwe as well.
The Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service began investigating a ring of people in 2012 around Cincinnati who were using stolen identities to file fraudulent income tax returns and then steal the refunds, according to the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio's Office.
Members of the ring bought stolen identities for thousands of actual taxpayers from accomplices and online forms.
In April 2012, agents seized several luxury cars, computers and tax documents from several locations and more than $1 million in cash and money orders in a storage locker the Marimbire ring was using.
Several people involved in the scheme fled the area after that search.
Kudzaiishe Marimbira, Tawanda's brother and head of the scheme, Hlomera Mabhande, Andrew Bere and Julius Marimbire fled to Zimbabwe and are fugitives there, according to the release.
Johanes Tagarisa was arrested in Atlanta months later and is awaiting sentencing.
Tawanda Marimbira was arrested days after the search when he tried to flee into Canada with about $76,000 in cash. He pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of wire fraud. Last Thursday he was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
Kudzaishe Robert Bungu, 28, pleaded guilty in December 2012 to one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions and was sentenced to 27 months in prison Thursday.
"Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law," said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kathy Enstrom.
Others were also charged for their involvement in the scheme.
They include:
Tinotenda Madyira, 25, who sold a list of stolen identities to Kudzaishe Marimbire. He pleaded guilty to identity theft and was sentence to 12 months and one day in prison.
Liberty Matonhodze, 25, who helped withdraw the refunds from the debit cards at ATMs. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution.
Fitzgerald Chibamu, 36, who helped Kudzaishe Marimbire transfer stolen funds through his bank accounts to Zimbabwe. He pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Lameigo Mutongwiza and Zla Holder were indicted in November and have charges pending against them.
Several of Tawanda Marimbire's co-conspirators fled to Zimbabwe as well.
The Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service began investigating a ring of people in 2012 around Cincinnati who were using stolen identities to file fraudulent income tax returns and then steal the refunds, according to the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio's Office.
Members of the ring bought stolen identities for thousands of actual taxpayers from accomplices and online forms.
In April 2012, agents seized several luxury cars, computers and tax documents from several locations and more than $1 million in cash and money orders in a storage locker the Marimbire ring was using.
Several people involved in the scheme fled the area after that search.
Kudzaiishe Marimbira, Tawanda's brother and head of the scheme, Hlomera Mabhande, Andrew Bere and Julius Marimbire fled to Zimbabwe and are fugitives there, according to the release.
Tawanda Marimbira was arrested days after the search when he tried to flee into Canada with about $76,000 in cash. He pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of wire fraud. Last Thursday he was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
Kudzaishe Robert Bungu, 28, pleaded guilty in December 2012 to one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions and was sentenced to 27 months in prison Thursday.
"Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law," said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kathy Enstrom.
Others were also charged for their involvement in the scheme.
They include:
Tinotenda Madyira, 25, who sold a list of stolen identities to Kudzaishe Marimbire. He pleaded guilty to identity theft and was sentence to 12 months and one day in prison.
Liberty Matonhodze, 25, who helped withdraw the refunds from the debit cards at ATMs. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution.
Fitzgerald Chibamu, 36, who helped Kudzaishe Marimbire transfer stolen funds through his bank accounts to Zimbabwe. He pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Lameigo Mutongwiza and Zla Holder were indicted in November and have charges pending against them.
Source - Cincinnati.com
