Two Florida men, Jasen Harvey of Tampa and Christopher Johnson of Orlando, have been sentenced for their roles in a tax fraud scheme known as the “Note Program.” Harvey received a 48-month prison sentence, while Johnson was sentenced to 37 months, both for conspiring to defraud the United States.
Between 2015 and 2018, the two participated in a scheme where false tax returns were prepared for clients. These returns claimed substantial, nonexistent income tax withholdings, resulting in fraudulent refund requests. Clients were charged fees and required to share a portion of the illicit refunds with the conspirators.
The fraudulent activity resulted in claims exceeding $3 million, with the IRS paying out approximately $1.5 million.
U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr. of the Middle District of Florida also sentenced both men to three years of supervised release. Johnson was ordered to pay $864,117.42 in restitution, while Harvey was ordered to pay $785,858.42.
A co-defendant, Arthur Grimes, is scheduled for sentencing on January 13, 2025.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Department of Justice’s Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
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