STAFF REPORTS
BUFFALO — U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Emmanuel Collins, a/k/a Scooter, 40, and Quintella Wilson, 36, both of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims (Collins) and aiding and abetting fraudulent returns, statements, or other documents (Wilson) before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Collins’s charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Wilson’s charge carries a maximum penalty of one year and a $100,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who is handling the case, stated that between 2012 and 2015, Collins organized various individuals in Buffalo to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, claiming false income and tax withholdings on false W-2 forms. Wilson assisted Collins in part by driving the tax filers to tax return preparers to file the fraudulent forms. Investigators identified 16 fraudulent filings in the conspiracy that claimed $124,787 in false refunds. Collins generally took a cut of each tax refund that was fraudulently obtained. Three of the tax filers have also been convicted for their roles.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2019, before Judge Geraci.
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