By: Richard L. Smith
Two men from Camden have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS by concealing cash payments made to employees of a staffing business, according to a statement released by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger on Thursday.
Tri Anh Tieu, 53, and Andy Tran, 49, were charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States.
They were arraigned in Camden federal court on October 2, 2024, before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal and released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to court documents, Tieu owned Tri States Staffing LLC, a Pennsauken-based company that provided temporary workers to businesses in Gloucester and Burlington Counties.
Tran, an employee of Tri States Staffing, sometimes acted as a company representative.
The staffing company was responsible for collecting and paying payroll taxes to the IRS on behalf of its employees.
Between 2018 and 2022, Tri States Staffing received over $2.5 million in payments from its client businesses.
However, Tieu and Tran allegedly paid employees in cash and failed to remit payroll taxes to the IRS.
The two men also filed false personal income tax returns, omitting the income they received from the company.
Authorities allege that Tieu used some of the unpaid payroll taxes for personal expenses, including gambling.
If convicted, Tieu and Tran face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.