04/09/2010

News / Phoenix Men Charged in Money Laundering and Tax Fraud Scheme

WASHINGTON – Gino Carlucci and Wayne Mounts, both residents of Phoenix, were indicted today on money laundering and tax related charges, the Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

Carlucci was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing a false income tax return, and witness tampering. Mounts was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to the indictment, Carlucci and Mounts created a scheme to defraud a tax return preparer named Joseph Flickinger as well as his taxpayer clients of funds and assets by operating a fraudulent casino investment scam. Carlucci and Mounts caused wire transfers from Flickinger and his clients to be made to bank accounts controlled by either Carlucci and Mounts that were purportedly related to an investment in a casino in Antigua. Carlucci and Mounts diverted these funds to themselves by using cash withdrawals, cashiers’ checks, and by otherwise causing their associates to give them the money.

According to the indictment, Carlucci filed a false income tax return for 2004 that failed to report any of the money he received in the scheme and used for his own benefit. Mounts failed to file a tax return for 2004 despite receiving substantial income from the scheme. Carlucci and Mounts used some of the money to buy a luxury boat that they hid from the government.

An indictment is merely a formal charge by the grand jury. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a U.S. District Court.

If convicted, Carlucci faces a maximum potential sentence of 48 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,250,000. If convicted, Mounts faces a maximum potential sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $750,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Tax Division attorneys Richard Rolwing and Monica Edelstein. The case was investigated by the IRS - Criminal Investigation Division.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/April/10-tax-389.html

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