Justice Department Sues Oregon Residents to Stop Alleged Tax Scam

WASHINGTON – The United States announced today that it has sued to bar John D. Fitzgerald of Portland, Ore., from selling an alleged tax fraud scheme, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction lawsuit also names Fitzgerald’s three daughters, Marilyn Dial, Martha Farr Sharp, and Karen Gray; a family associate, Noreen McCausland; and three of Fitzgerald’s corporations, American Family Enterprise, Inc., All Saints Global Fellowship, and World Community Co-Op, Inc.

The government complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Portland, alleges that the defendants helped customers create sham nonprofit corporations to improperly reduce reported income taxes. The suit further alleges the defendants falsely told customers they could put their income, assets, and businesses into purported nonprofit corporations and not have to file income tax returns or pay taxes. According to the complaint the defendants helped at least 676 customers set up sham entities to improperly avoid taxes.

The suit asks the court to order the defendants to give the Justice Department a list of their customers’ names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and tax identification numbers as well as to resign as the registered agents for these entities.

Since 2001, the Justice Department has obtained more than 255 injunctions to stop the promotion of tax fraud schemes and the preparation of fraudulent returns. More information about the Justice Department’s efforts against tax-scam promoters can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2007.htm. Information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax.