Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021 IRS-CI releases annual report highlighting 2,500 investigations, law enforcement partnerships M ore than 2,500 criminal investigations, the identifi cation of more than $10 billion from tax fraud and fi nancial crimes, and a nearly 90 percent conviction rate are just a few highlights from the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report. The report, released Thursday, details statistics, important partnerships and signifi cant criminal enforcement actions from IRS-CI, the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, for the past fi scal year, which began Oct. 1, 2020 and ended Sept. 30, 2021. “IRS-CI agents are the only federal law enforcement officers with the authority to investigate criminal violations of the U.S. tax code. Their work reinforces the backbone of our voluntary compliance tax system -- a system that funds services and benefi ts for our nation, including defense, infrastructure and education,” said IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. “The special agents and professional staff of the Boston Field Office had an incredible year investigating a broad range of fi nancial crimes” said Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Offi ce. “As the only law enforcement agency with jurisdiction to investigate tax crimes and with a 90 percent federal conviction rate, we will continue in the laser-focused pursuit of our mission well into fi scal year 2022 and beyond.” In fi scal year 2021, IRS-CI built upon its existing network of U.S. field offices and international attachés to combat fi nancial crimes across the globe. The agency’s alliance with the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) helped strengthen public-private partnerships with fi nancial institutions and the FinTech industry to deter and identify criminal activity. Additionally, IRS-CI established its fi rst cyber attaché in The Hague, Netherlands, to proactively support cyber investigative needs in coordination with Europol. “IRS-CI continues to lead tax and financial investigations here in the U.S. and across the globe,” said IRS-CI Chief James Lee. “In fi scal year 2021, as we faced the second year of a global pandemic, our team of agents continued to overcome personal and professional challenges to target criminals who exploited the U.S. tax and fi nancial systems for personal gain.” While IRS-CI agents spent most of their investigative manhours, about 72%, investigating tax-related crimes like tax evasion and tax fraud during fi scal year 2021, they also made signifi cant contributions to money laundering, narcotics traffi cking, public corruption, terrorism and COVID-19 fraud investigations. Case examples include: • On April 13, a Massachusetts man was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for aiding romance and lottery schemes targeting the elderly. • On January 8, the former owner of a seafood processing plant was sentenced in Rhode Island for tax evasion and seeking to obstruct IRS collection efforts for 10 years. • On April 20, the owner of two Connecticut nursing homes was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for embezzlement and tax off enses. • On May 12, a Massachusetts painting business owner was sentenced for perpetrating a $2 million income and payroll tax fraud scheme. • On April 14, a New Hampshire man was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison for facilitating employment tax fraud. The report includes additional case examples for each U.S. fi eld office, an overview of IRS-CI’s international footprint, details about the specialized services provided by IRS-CI and investigative statistics, broken down by discipline, for fi scal year 2021. Wreaths Across America Radio Hosts the Last of Four RoundTable Discussions on Veteran Healing in 2021 This RoundTable discussion will focus on emotional support for veterans and their families, risk factors, and how to turn challenges into purpose. COLUMBIA FALLS, Me. — November 17, 2021 — Wreaths Across America Radio is proud to announce the fourth and fi - nal episode in its 2021 roundtable series focused on Veteran Healing through sharing stories of resilience, purpose, and success. This discussion will air on Thursday, December 23, 2021, at 7PM EST, and can be heard exclusively on Wreaths Across America Radio. ROUNDTABLE | SEE Page 22
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