Boynton Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Claiming Phony IRS Refunds

WASHINGTON, DC — A Boynton Beach man pleaded guilty to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the internal revenue laws and theft of government funds. Forty-one-year-old David R. Andre faces up to more than 13 years in prison. Federal prosecutors said he used the money to purchase his home and multiple vehicles, including a Jaguar and Mercedes Benz.

The guilty plea was announced on Wednesday by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

Prosecutors alleged that Andre filed fraudulent personal tax returns with the IRS between 2010 to 2015, seeking more than $5.6 million in refunds to which he was not entitled.

"As a result of these returns, which falsely reported income earned and income tax withheld, the IRS paid Andre more than $485,000 in refunds," federal officials said.

"In late 2012, the IRS began trying to collect the taxes Andre owed and placed a lien on his residence. Days after the lien was recorded, Andre filed a form with the IRS that falsely claimed he was making a substantial payment, and the IRS released the lien," according to federal officials, who said that the IRS re-filed the lien.

"In 2015, Andre also made false statements to IRS agents and told them that he purchased his residence with money he inherited, did not recall receiving any large refunds from the IRS and had not filed a tax return since 2008," federal officials said.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 8.

Andre faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft of government funds. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties, according to federal officials.

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Daniel McGraw and Charles Edgar, Jr. of the Tax Division. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida also provided substantial assistance.