A ZIMBABWEAN man could be jailed for up to 70 years in the United States after being convicted of tax fraud at the end of a six-day-trial in Atlanta, Georgia.

A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Onessimus Govereh, also known as Tony, 28, on charges of willfully filing false personal income tax returns worth US$460 000 with the Internal Revenue Service.

He will be sentenced on March 28.

“As we begin a new tax filing season, tax preparers should beware that, along with our criminal investigative partners in the IRS, we will quickly and effectively prosecute those tax professionals who choose to violate the tax laws for their personal profit,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias

“The defendant in this case began filing fraudulent returns in early 2007. He was arrested in February, 2007, indicted in April, 2007, and has now been tried and convicted less than a year after he initiated his criminal scheme to defraud the IRS and to steal from U.S. taxpayers. His next stop will be a federal prison.”

Nahmias, who led the evidence presented at trial, said Govereh, operating under the name “Kingdom Tax Service” and with his principal place of business in Norcross, Georgia, registered with the IRS as an electronic return originator in late 2006.

(Source)