Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to IRS Tax Fraud Totaling Over $500K in False Refunds

Philip Nelson Green filed false tax returns for four consecutive years, claiming over $500,000 in refunds he was not entitled to. He faces up to five years in prison.

Minnesota Man Admits to Multi-Year IRS Tax Fraud Scheme

DOJ Justice News reports that Philip Nelson Green, a Minnesota man, pleaded guilty to filing a false claim with the IRS, admitting to submitting fraudulent individual income tax returns across four consecutive years.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Green filed false returns for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Each return contained multiple fraudulent items, including fabricated wage information, inflated itemized deductions, inaccurate withholding amounts, and bogus child and dependent care expenses.

For tax years 2021 and 2022 alone, Green's false returns collectively sought more than $500,000 in refunds he had no legal entitlement to receive.

Green entered a guilty plea to one count of making a false claim. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2027. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota announced the case. IRS Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation, while Trial Attorneys Charles A. O'Reilly and Daniel R. Glenn of the National Fraud Enforcement Division's Tax Section are prosecuting.

The case falls under the Justice Department's Fraud Division, established on April 7 to investigate and prosecute fraud against the American public. The division supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a government-wide initiative chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance targeting fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.

Source: DOJ Justice News