A Camas man was ordered in U.S. District Court last week to pay $1.2 million in restitution and spend 18 months in prison for repeated tax fraud.
“This is a huge tax theft — not a nickel and dime deal. This is a serious, serious offense,” said Judge Robert J. Bryan at the sentencing. “I don’t know how someone can do this and not expect to get jail time.”
Charles Scott Brown, 54, submitted four fraudulent tax returns in 2007 and 2008, claiming he was owed more than $1.2 million in tax refunds, according to acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. The scheme is known as 1099 OID fraud. After the checks came in, he used the money to travel to Mexico and Hawaii, stay at luxury hotels, dine at expensive restaurants and shop at Nordstrom and Zappos.com.
“This defendant is the latest in a line of U.S. and Canadian scammers illegally claiming huge tax refunds at the expense of law-abiding Americans,” Hayes said. “Now, he is paying with his freedom and with a share of his future earnings for the money he stole.”
