To obtain the refunds, Aucapina and others filed fraudulent federal tax returns, in the names of other foreign citizens with the IRS, according to federal authorities. The fake tax returns said the claimants resided in the U.S., earned wages from companies in the U.S., and had federal income tax withheld from the their’ wages, according to federal authorities.
"In truth, the claimants never worked for or earned income from those companies. In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection have no records of the claimants even being present in the U.S. during the tax years for which the returns were filed," authorities said.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department; it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Jonathan T. Pierpont, Jr.
A convicted felon from New Haven was sentenced Wednesday to more than five years in federal prison after being found in possession of a ghost gun while out on probation, officials said.