Social Worker Filed 200 False Tax Returns

Although you can steal from the government for a while, they will catch up to you as Trang Van Dinh of Los Angeles discovered this week.

The 62-year-old social worker plead guilty to various white collar crimes including fradulent filing of almost 200 false tax returns with information that he obtained while on the job. Van Dinh tried to steal more than $2 million as a result of his actions.

If found guilty, Van Dinh could face up to ten years behind bars for two counts of filing false claims against the United States. Van Dinh used information and names from 197 people to file tax returns asking for $2.21 million in refunds. He had worked for the county Department of Social Services from 1999 to 2009.

However, Van Dinh was not successful in obtaining this entire amount as much of it was flagged by banks as fraud and not paid out. Authorities did say that he was able to get $667,034.

Dealing with white collar crime charges?  Now is the time to consult with a criminal defense lawyer near you!