TOLEDO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Ohio, Northern), published as received.
TOLEDO – Lance Harris, 44, of Toledo, Ohio, was found guilty of two counts of making false claims against the United States after a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge James R. Knepp, II.
According to court documents and testimony, in January and February of 2020, Harris filed two tax returns with the IRS falsely claiming refunds of approximately $1.1 million dollars.
Harris will be sentenced on March 12, 2024, his sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, and the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Dexter Phillips.
Update May, 10, 2024 – Harris was sentenced to 36 months in prison on two counts of making false claims against the United States, to run concurrently and pay $55,747.27 in restitution.
