Bridgeville man sentenced for money laundering
A Bridgeville man has been sentenced, after he pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
On Thursday, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware Charles M. Oberly, III, announced that 44-year-old Gerald Nocks was sentenced to 18 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. Back in April, Nocks pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to make false claims against the government and one count of money laundering.
Between March and April 2011, Nocks mailed 16 false Corporate Tax Returns to the Internal Revenue Service, which listed six non-existent corporations for 2008, 2009, and 2010. The fictitious returns listed Delaware addresses associated with Nocks. Each return claimed about $160,000 in gross income, and a tax of $2,000, along with about $14,000 in fuel tax credit. This off-set the tax due, and resulted in a $12,000 refund.
The 16 false claims total $198,441. Officials say Nocks received 13 refund checks totaling $162, 201, which he then laundered those proceeds through various bank accounts before wiring $150,000 to a settlement table in Georgia for the purchase of a home, where he was living at the time his fraudulent actions were detected.
“IRS Criminal Investigation is diligent when it comes to enforcing the laws directed at those who attempt to defraud our nation’s tax system,” said Akeia Conner, Special Agent in Charge of Philadelphia Field Office. “Today’s sentencing shows how seriously the courts take federal tax crimes and it should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions.”
Along with his sentence, Nocks was ordered to pay back a restitution of $162,201 to the IRS. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
