A Surprise man, Anthony Henry Williams, has been sentenced to four years in prison for numerous crimes involving false claims to the Internal Revenue Service, and transactional money laundering.
According to the Department of Justice, in 2018 and 2019, Williams submitted seven false tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), claiming over $3 million in owed refunds. The IRS processed one of these returns that resulted in an unwarranted $600,000 refund to Williams. The IRS later advised him that the return was fraudulent, and that Williams needed to return the money. Williams failed to do so; instead, he purchased two luxury vehicles and a home, among other expenditures.
His co-defendant, Shakina Williams, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served followed by 12 months of supervised release for her role in the offense. Both defendants were ordered to pay almost $600,000 in restitution.
The duo was also were ordered to forfeit their interests in a Surprise home, an Audi A7, and a Porsche Panamera.