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Date: 12-12-2018
Case Style:
United States of America v. Chanh V. Trinh, Cannedy Trinh and Elizabeth Trinh
Case Number: 2:17-cr-00287-JCM-VCF
Judge: James C. Mahan
Court: United States District Court for the District of Nevada (Clark County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale
Defendant's Attorney: Shawn R. Perez for Chanh V. Trinh, a/k/a Vincent Trinh
Daniel Hill for Elizabeth Trinh
Kevin R. Stolworthy for Cannedy Trinh
Description:
Las Vegas, NV - Three Nevada Family Members Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Steal More Than $2 Million in Tax Refunds
Three individuals in Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal more than $2 million in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
Chanh V. Trinh, Cannedy Trinh, and Elizabeth Trinh each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States by fraudulently obtaining the payment of income tax refunds. Chanh V. Trinh also pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft involving the use of his deceased brother’s identity.
According to documents filed with the court, Chanh V. Trinh, Cannedy Trinh, and Elizabeth Trinh, residents of Las Vegas, conspired to file federal corporate and individual income tax returns reporting false income tax withholdings and payments, which fraudulently caused the IRS to issue income tax refunds. The Trinhs filed the fraudulent returns in the names of fictitious business entities, their own names, and the names of other individuals, including a long-deceased family member. Chanh V. Trinh prepared and filed the returns. All three defendants deposited or cashed the fraudulently obtained refund checks using bank accounts and check-cashing businesses in Las Vegas. The defendants regularly concealed the funds by purchasing cashier’s checks, which they used to obtain gambling chips at Las Vegas casinos. The conspiracy resulted in false claims of more than $6 million, and more than $2 million in fraudulent refunds paid out by the IRS.
United States District Court Judge James C. Mahan scheduled sentencing for all three defendants for April 10, 2019. Chanh V. Trinh will be sentenced to 102 months in prison under his plea agreement, if accepted by the court. Cannedy Trinh will be sentenced to 24 months in prison under his plea agreement, if accepted by the court. Elizabeth Trinh faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under her plea agreement. Each defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Elieson thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Charges:
18:286 - Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims
(1)
18:286 - Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims
(1s)
18:287 - False Claim for a Refund; 18:2 - Aiding and Abetting
(2-21)
18:287 and 2 - False Claim for a Refund; Aiding and Abetting
(2s-21s)
18:641 and 2 - Theft of Public Money; Aiding and Abetting
(22s-36s)
18:641 - Theft of Public Money; 18:2 - Aiding and Abetting
(23-26)
18:641 - Theft of Public Money; 18:2 - Aiding and Abetting
(34)
18:1341 - Mail Fraud; 18:2 - Aiding and Abetting
(37)
18:1341 and 2 - Mail Fraud; Aiding and Abetting
(37s)
18:1028A(a)(1),c(1),c(5) - Aggravated Identity Theft; 18:2 - Aiding and Abetting
(38-39)
18:1028(A)(1), (c)(1), (c)(5) and 2 - Aggravated Identity Theft; Aiding and Abetting
(38s-39s)
18:1957 and 2 - Money Laundering; Aiding and Abetting
(40s-46s)
Outcome: 12/11/2018 73 MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS - Change of Plea as to Cannedy Trinh held on 12/11/2018 before Judge James C. Mahan. Crtrm Administrator: NEV; AUSA: Thomas Flynn and Eric Schmale; Def Counsel: Kevin Stolworthy; Court Reporter/Recorder: Amber McClane; Time of Hearing: 10:36 a.m. - 11:06 a.m.; Interpreter: Jimmy Tong Nguyen; Language: Vietnamese; Courtroom: 6A.
Defendant is present on terms of release, and with a Vietnamese Interpreter. Defendant is sworn and canvassed. Defendant pleads GUILTY to Count 1 of the 45 Superseding Indictment. Binding Plea Agreement filed. Court conditionally accepts the guilty plea. This matter is referred to the probation department for investigation and report. Trial setting as to this defendant is vacated. Defendant is continued on present terms of release.
Sentencing and disposition set for 4/10/2019 at 11:00 AM in LV Courtroom 6A before Judge James C. Mahan.
(no image attached) (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - NEV) (Entered: 12/11/2018)
12/11/2018 74 BINDING PLEA AGREEMENT as to Cannedy Trinh. (NEV) (Entered: 12/11/2018)
12/11/2018 75 NOTICE to Contact the U.S. Probation Office as to Cannedy Trinh. (NEV) (Entered: 12/11/2018)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: