Feds Announce Massive Tax, Immigration Bust On South Carolina Coast

The federal prosecutor on Tuesday indicted twelve people from seven different companies in connection with allegations of payroll tax fraud in connection with an “expanding multi-year undercover investigation in the Myrtle Beach area and the entire coast of South Carolina.”

The investigation, led by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was directed against “those in the construction industry who used unlicensed check cashers to facilitate under the table cash payments to employees, many of them “Were unauthorized foreigners.”

“The check cashiers would also produce insurance certificates that falsely stated that the employees were covered by workers’ compensation insurance,” said a statement from the office of the acting US attorney Rhett DeHart written down. “These off-book payments defrauded the United States of employee wage taxes.”

In the publication, the bust was described as “the largest criminal operation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the history of the Pee Dee area”.

According to federal prosecutors, all twelve defendants pleaded guilty to defrauding the United States government to defraud the United States government and facing charges of illegally employing illegal aliens.

“Those who steal from the government, and thus American taxpayers, will find no refuge in South Carolina,” DeHart said in a statement. “By evading millions of dollars in taxes and falsely claiming their workers were insured, these defendants have made it difficult for honest business owners to compete in the construction industry along the coast of South Carolina, and they have left their workers exposed to injuries without insurance.” I would like to thank the IRS and HSI for their tireless efforts as well as our local partners who helped with this operation. We will continue to prosecute companies and individuals who try to move forward by breaking the law. “

Mona Passmore, the IRS special agent responsible for the operation, echoed DeHart’s views, saying the defendants in the case “mistakenly believed that they could disregard their tax obligations and gain a competitive advantage in doing so”.

In the meantime, Ronnie Martinez – a special agent of the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) unit of the DHS – debunked the notion that such tax evasion programs are “victimless” crimes.

“The biggest misconception about labor exploitation is that it is a victimless crime and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Martinez said. “Workers, competing companies, people whose identities have been stolen, and even the local economy are all victims of this crime.” This case sheds light on a crime that has been in the shadows for too long and HSI and its partners will continue to hold those involved in labor exploitation accountable. “

This is a developing story … please look back for updates.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

(Via: FITSNews)

Become people is the founding editor of the news agency you are reading right now. Prior to founding FITSNews, he was the South Carolina Governor’s press secretary. He lives in the state’s Midlands with his wife and seven children. And yes, not only does he have lots of kids, but he also has lots of hats (including the Chicago Blackhawks lid pictured above).

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