SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR USING STOLEN IDENTITIES

MAN USES IDS FROM DEAD PEOPLE
TO COLLECT MILLIONS FROM IRS IN US

www.opposingviews.com - Andrew J. Watts, a Barbados national, was sentenced in Chicago to 114 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of just under $1.7 million for devising and executing a stolen identity federal income tax refund fraud scheme, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. 
According to court documents, between 2007 and 2011, Watts filed false federal income tax returns in the names of deceased taxpayers seeking fraudulent refunds. Watts either signed the name of the deceased taxpayer to the tax return, or would falsely list himself as the deceased taxpayer’s representative. As part of the scheme, Watts filed over 470 false federal income tax returns, claiming fraudulent refunds in excess of $120 million, and the IRS issued refunds in excess of $10 million.  
Watts directed the IRS to either mail the refund checks to an address he controlled or to electronically deposit the refund into a bank account under his control.

“While all taxpayers are victims when criminals file false tax returns using stolen identities, those who falsely use the names of deceased individuals add to the grief and burdens of their families,” said Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division. “We will prosecute and seek just punishment against those who seek to commit these crimes.” 
“IRS-Criminal Investigation has made investigating refund fraud and identity theft a top priority and we will vigorously pursue those who undermine the integrity of the U.S. tax system,” said Richard Weber, Chief, IRS-Criminal Investigation. 
“Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.” On July 10, 2012, Watts pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Andrew Watts, 35, a Barbados national who stole the identities of hundreds of dead people in a scheme to collect many millions of dollars in bogus tax refunds from the U.S. government was sentenced to 9-1/2 years in prison. The man, who was in the United States legally, used the stolen identities to file 645 false federal tax returns between 2007 and 2011 and to claim more than $120 million in tax refunds. He used more than $1.6 million in refunds to rent apartments in New York, Beverly Hills and Chicago, buy a Mercedes Benz SUV and jewelry, provide cash to his girlfriend, and jet back and forth from California to New York. Another cheater who takes advantage of the civilization to live “a life of leisure and pleasure” by deceiving other people.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Human life is for only a few days. Still, it contains many troubles. In this very short life one should sincerely worship Lord Hari. The “civilization” you talk about is only a way to cheat the soul. Therefore I say that this “civilization” is only another word for “cheating”. When men walk on the path of truth, they are simple and honest. When men’s actions are a collection of lies, their hearts are full of cunning, their deeds are sins, and their words are empty flattery. That is your “civilization”. True civilization is not like that. In true civilization men are honest and sincere. Nowadays people merely hide the wickedness in their hearts, and that hiding they call “civilization”. The true meaning of “civilization” is “honesty and goodness”. What you call “civilization” is only cheating and wickedness.  Civilization that is sinless is found only among the Vaishnavas.

Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thākura :
Jaiva-dharma (The Universal Religion)
Chapter Nine - Eternal Religion and Modern Science-Civilization
http://www.bvml.org/SBTP/JD/index.html
http://www.exoticindia.es/book/details/jaiva-dharma-universal-religion-IDJ890/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/