New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Relief Fraud That Netted $256,906 in IRS Refunds
The Justice Department announced on Oct. 16 that Davante Mallard, 33, of New Haven, Connecticut, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to making false claims regarding IRS refunds, an offense carrying a maximum of five years in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mallard's company, Mallard Dynasty Realty Group, provided real estate and property management services but earned little to no income, had no employees, had not paid wages, and had not filed W-2 forms with the IRS. In early 2022, individuals Mallard knew instructed him to open an online tax-preparation account and hand over the credentials; between April 2022 and February 2023 they used it to file fraudulent Forms 941 that misrepresented the number of employees and total wages paid, applying for large employee retention credit (ERC) and sick and family leave credit (SFLC) refunds. When the IRS asked Mallard to verify information about the business, he falsely claimed it had five employees.
Between August 2022 and March 2023, the company received six IRS refund checks totaling $256,906, and Mallard kicked back a portion of the money to the individuals who orchestrated the scheme.
Mallard is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser. U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced the plea; the case was published in the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division news update.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于康州纽黑文市的罗伯特·N·贾伊莫联邦大楼（资料图）。图片来源：Wobbanight，Wikimedia Commons，CC0。Photo: The Robert N. Giaimo Federal Building in New Haven, Connecticut (file photo). Image: Wobbanight, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
