Florida man sentenced for over seven years for ‘gambling’ fraud scheme

The U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced a man in Tampa, Florida, to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns tied to fabricated gambling winnings and losses.

Along with the sentencing, the court has also entered an order for forfeiture in the amount of $1,354,757.64, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and restitution in the amount of $15,028,309.89 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

It was on December 2, 2024, when George Tucker Jr entered a guilty plea, with the update on the sentencing having been provided on December 19 by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida.

According to the update, court documents show that beginning in March 2021, and continuing through to February 2024, the man “engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS.”

Lakeland man’s tax returns included ‘fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses’

The press release states: “Tucker prepared or assisted in the preparation of 316 false and fraudulent tax returns for 196 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

“The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A, B, 1, and 3, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G, which contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive.”

The total intended tax loss from the tax returns the man prepared amounted to $59,941,751, while it’s reported that the actual loss totaled $15,028,309.89, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts.

The media release states the man “personally profited $1,354,757.64 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients or refunds he received directly from the IRS.” He is said to have used the money to enrich himself, including buying expensive jewelry.

“These defendants spent their days looking for ways to cheat. Those who deliberately exploit our tax system for personal gain will face serious consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation Florida Field Office. “These prosecutions reflect the dedication of our agents to protecting honest taxpayers and upholding justice for all Americans.”

Featured Image: Lakeland skyline via Butter142 on Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0 license

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