IRS2026-10-26 08:12:49Connecticut tax preparer charged with fabricating crypto losses and diverting refundsA tax preparer in Meriden, Connecticut, has been charged with allegedly fabricating stock and cryptocurrency trading losses on client tax returns across the 2017 through 2024 tax years, according to Bitcoin.com. Prosecutors say the losses were claimed for assets the clients never owned. The Internal Revenue Service also alleges that Yuridia Trujillo used Form 8888 to route part of certain clients’ tax refunds into bank accounts controlled by herself and an associate. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Oct. 7, and Trujillo was arrested on Oct. 9. She has since been released on $50,000 bond pending trial. The case includes 19 counts of aiding in the preparation of false income tax returns, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of three years in prison if convicted. Authorities noted that the case remains an allegation, and Trujillo is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The report also referenced a separate case in Texas. Bitcoin investor Frank Richard Ahlgren III was sentenced in December 2024 to two years in prison for overstating the cost basis of his Bitcoin purchases and was ordered to pay about $1.095 million in restitution.20
U.S. Departme2026-09-21 21:53:33California woman gets 18 months for concealing $2.6 million in crypto-linked criminal proceedsA 37-year-old woman from Irvine, California, Iris Rabaya Au, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after failing to report more than $2.6 million in illegal income to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a Sept. 21 announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice. The court also ordered her to pay $1.484 million in restitution and forfeit assets including multiple luxury and high-performance vehicles, designer handbags, and three "Godfather" statues. Prosecutors said Au was the former girlfriend of crypto fraudster Adam Iza and helped move funds tied to his scheme. Between 2020 and 2024, Iza allegedly obtained Meta advertising accounts and lines of credit through fraud and sold account access, generating millions of dollars in unreported income. Prosecutors said Au set up shell companies and bank accounts at Iza’s direction, and that the money was used for payments to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officers, luxury purchases, entertainment spending, and roughly $16 million in cryptocurrency purchases for Iza. Au pleaded guilty in March 2025 to filing a false tax return.640
U.S. Departme2026-09-21 21:57:05California woman gets 18 months for failing to report more than $2.6 million in illicit incomeA 37-year-old woman from Irvine in California’s Orange County has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after failing to report more than $2.6 million in illicit income to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement. The court also ordered Iris Rabaya Au to pay $1.484 million in restitution and forfeit multiple luxury and high-performance vehicles, designer handbags, and three "Godfather" sculptures. Prosecutors said Au was the former girlfriend of crypto fraudster Adam Iza and helped move funds tied to his scheme. Between 2020 and 2024, Iza allegedly obtained Meta advertising accounts and lines of credit through fraud and sold account access, generating millions of dollars in unreported income. At Iza’s direction, Au set up shell companies and opened bank accounts, then used the funds for payments, luxury spending, entertainment expenses, and crypto purchases. The Justice Department said Au transferred more than $2.6 million into her personal bank accounts from 2020 to 2023 without accurately reporting the money on federal tax returns. She pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of filing a false tax return. Iza separately pleaded guilty in January 2025, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.630
IRS2026-08-02 03:33:26IRS warns of fake crypto tax letters directing victims to phishing portalThe U.S. Internal Revenue Service issued a fraud alert on July 30, saying scammers are mailing counterfeit IRS notices to cryptocurrency holders and urging them to register before an urgent deadline through a nonexistent "Digital Asset Compliance Portal." Each fraudulent letter includes a QR code that sends recipients to a website impersonating IRS.gov. According to the alert, the fake portal may ask for personal details, crypto wallet information, exchange login credentials, seed phrases, private keys, and other data that could be used for theft. Coinbase and cybersecurity firm Darktower traced the infrastructure tied to the scheme to a domain registered through a Hong Kong registrar shortly before the letters began circulating. Investigators also found that the site is hosted in Romania, on a network that had previously been linked to phishing pages spoofing financial institutions.2180
Roger Ver2026-07-02 19:00:14Roger Ver aka 'Bitcoin Jesus' Reaches Deferred Prosecution Deal, to Pay $48 Million in Back TaxesRoger Ver, the early bitcoin evangelist known as 'Bitcoin Jesus,' has reached a tentative deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to resolve criminal tax fraud charges. The deal requires Ver to pay approximately $48 million in back taxes in exchange for prosecutors dropping the case if he meets the terms. Ver was indicted in 2024 for allegedly evading taxes on his massive bitcoin holdings before renouncing his U.S. citizenship in 2014. He hired lawyers and lobbyists tied to Donald Trump and publicly appealed to the former president for help. If finalized, the agreement signals a shift in Washington's attitude toward digital assets.740
Roger Ver2026-07-02 18:45:14Bitcoin Jesus Roger Ver Reaches Tentative Tax Fraud Deal with DOJ, Owes $48 MillionRoger Ver, once known as 'Bitcoin Jesus,' has reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve criminal tax fraud charges. The deal, pending court approval, requires Ver to pay approximately $48 million in back taxes. In return, prosecutors would drop the case if he meets the terms of a deferred-prosecution agreement. Ver was accused of evading taxes on his massive bitcoin holdings before renouncing his U.S. citizenship in 2014. He was arrested in Spain last year. The settlement signals a shift in Washington's stance toward digital assets under the Trump administration.770
