Sacramento Man Indicted In Tax Refund Scheme

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —A federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment today charging Manuel Ruiz, 47, of Sacramento, with making false claims for tax refunds on federal income tax returns.

The indictment alleges that Ruiz made false claims on federal income tax returns that he filed on his own behalf and on behalf of eight other individuals for a total of $106,547.

Ruiz is scheduled for arraignment on February 6, 2014.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sherry Hartel Haus is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Ruiz faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.