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A Phoenix man was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for falsely claiming a tax refund of more than $239,000.
Elmer Lee Defoor, 52, was also ordered to pay $239,274 in restitution and to perform 100 hours of community service. Defoor pleaded guilty on March 12.
Defoor admitted that on Feb. 7, 2009, he filed a claim for payment, which he knew to be false, to the Internal Revenue Service. The claim was in the form of his 2008 federal income tax return, in which he falsely claimed an income tax refund of $239,274, according to his plea.
Defoor also admitted that he filed three additional fraudulent tax returns for the 2005, 2006, and 2009 tax years. The false claims in all of the tax returns were mostly based on claims that various financial institutions had withheld money on his behalf and that he was entitled to the withholdings. No such withholdings, however, were ever made. Defoor submitted various false Forms 1099 to the Internal Revenue Service to support the false claims.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service.
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