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December 15, 2020

Florida Tax Intermediary Charged with Wire Fraud

On October 7, 2020, in the Southern District of Florida, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Jocelyn Lynch for wire fraud in connection with a scheme to steal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax payments. On October 9, 2020, Lynch surrendered to the U.S. Marshals Service.

According to the court documents, between approximately January 1, 2013 through about January 17, 2020, Lynch promoted herself as a tax intermediary who could help clients settle outstanding tax debt owed to the IRS. At least three taxpayers hired Lynch to settle their debt with the IRS with an offer in compromise (OIC), which allows taxpayers to settle debt for less than the full amount owed. Lynch assisted her clients by completing IRS forms falsely representing she negotiated an OIC with the IRS on their behalf. Lynch instructed her clients to deposit payments intended for the IRS into her personal bank account and falsely represented that she would forward the payments to the IRS. Lynch subsequently provided her clients with fraudulent documentation and receipts purportedly from the IRS. In total, Lynch received approximately $363,994 in payments from her clients.

If convicted, Lynch faces a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.

    Source:  The facts in this case narrative come from the following publicly available documents: S.D. Fla., Initial Appearance, dated October 9, 2020, and S.D. Fla., Crim. Compl., dated October 7, 2020.