Broward Resident Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Government Money

On August 28, 2018, a Broward resident was sentenced to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $988,175 in restitution for theft of government money.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael J. De Palma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

Anthony Charles Dwight Box, 57, of Plantation, Florida, previously pled guilty to one count of theft of government money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

According to court documents, in late 2012, a federal income tax return was filed on behalf of Box for tax year 2011 that included a fake Form W-2G claiming gross gambling winnings of $3,775,000 from a poker tournament and claiming federal tax withholdings of $1,057,000.  The defendant’s Form 1040 also claimed $3,525,266 in gambling losses, which were used to offset Box’s purported income from gambling winnings, thereby generating a claimed refund of $986,618.

The IRS approved payment of Box’s refund and applied over $250,000 to Box’s 2005 and 2006 tax liabilities and to non-IRS debt.  The remainder of the refund was sent to Box via a United States Treasury check in the amount of $735,463.69.  Box endorsed and deposited the check knowing that he was not entitled to the refund and that it did not belong to him.

The IRS determined that Box’s 2011 federal income tax return was fraudulent and the claimed gambling winnings, withholdings, and losses were false.  The fraudulent misrepresentations on Box’s tax return resulted in a loss of $988,175 to the IRS.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and the FBI.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daya Nathan.