Stratford Man Convicted of Tax Fraud

A 45-year-old Stratford man Tuesday was found guilty of engaging in a corrupt tax refund scheme.

Benjamin Green III made false claims on his 2008 federal tax return which resulted in the Internal Revenue Service erroneously issuing a refund to the Stratford man of about $616,000, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

“Shortly after receiving the refund, Green disbursed the majority of the fraudulently-obtained funds through wire-transfers, withdrawals and checks to third parties,” the statement said. “He also used more than half of the refund to pay off his mortgage.”

When the IRS attempted to recover the money, the statement said “Green undertook a course of conduct to inhibit the IRS’s efforts.”

Green was convicted of one count of making a false claim against the United States and one count of attempting to obstruct the due administration of the internal revenue laws.

The false claim offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and the obstruction offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years.

The Stratford man is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2014.

Click here to read the full statement on the United State Department of Justice's website.