By: Richard L. Smith
Christian L. Whittaker, 43, from Williamstown, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme against the IRS, as U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Christine P. O'Hearn in Camden federal court following Whittaker's guilty plea to a charge of making false claims against the IRS.
Court documents and statements revealed that Whittaker, between 2016 and 2019, submitted false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns to the IRS.
He fabricated claims of significant wages and substantial losses from a non-existent business. His deception led to the IRS issuing over $300,000 in refunds.
Notably, more than $80,000 of this amount was used by the IRS to offset debts Whittaker previously incurred.
In addition to the prison term, Judge O'Hearn ordered Whittaker to three years of supervised release and mandated restitution of $390,682.
The case underscores the serious consequences of defrauding government institutions and highlights the diligence of the judicial system in upholding justice.