Porterville Police Dept. Receives Thousands From IRS
By Jessica Peres

08/14/2007 - A south valley police agency received a hefty sum from the IRS for its involvement in a 13-year long investigation.

IRS agents said the scheme began in Terra Bella where 25 people stole $13 million from the federal government. But the IRS agents said they never would have been able to complete the investigation without the Porterville police department.

Porterville police officers smiled as IRS agents handed Police Chief Chuck McMillan a $237,000 check, a portion of the sales from the houses sold in connection with the IRS tax fraud case.

The investigation began back in 1994 when IRS agents discovered 40 tax returns were filed illegally. Over the years that number grew to 9,000.

Agent Scott O'Briant, IRS Criminal Investigations, says "The returns had similar, same characteristics including the same employers were used, addresses, post office boxes wages and withholdings as reflected on the W2's."

But the IRS had come to a standstill in their case. The suspects behind the illegal tax filing scheme were mostly Mexican nationals. The IRS had a language barrier and a lack of resources in the south valley.

Porterville police interviewed and translated statements from the suspects in rooms at the Porterville police department and provided the IRS with office space. "Sgt. Blane and his fellow officers assisted without hesitation in multiple arrests and in the execution of numerous search and seizure warrants," says O'Briant.

He says the suspects used the fraudulent money to buy houses in Terra Bella as well as expensive cars. Two cars were given to Porterville police.

McMillan says the much needed money will go towards the department's investigation division. "This helps as far as doing undercover work and things of that nature," says Chief McMillan.

25 people were arrested and have already been sentenced to terms as high as 37 months in prison. All face deportation.

The suspects were using voter registration cards to obtain an IRS tax id number, as result of this investigation voter registration cards can no longer be used as a form of identification when filing taxes.


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