2 Men Plead Guilty to Filing Fake Tax Claims

Two North Hollywood men have pleaded guilty to filing false tax claims and collecting more than $200,000 in refund checks, an assistant U.S. attorney said Wednesday.

Engie Ogbor-Herbert, 39, and Adekunle Rufai, 31, hoped to collect more than $1 million in fraudulent tax refunds, said Assistant U.S. Atty. David Lavine.

The two men prepared and filed at least 175 tax returns, using false Social Security numbers and making false claims on the tax forms.

The Internal Revenue Service issued more than $200,000 in refund checks before officials uncovered the scheme. Federal authorities are now seeking restitution, Lavine said.

Ogbor-Herbert and Rufai were arrested Feb. 27 after IRS officials noticed patterns on the tax returns. Though they used different names, the two men reported the same income on all the claims, Lavine said.

The two men entered their pleas in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Ogbor-Herbert pleaded guilty Monday to 15 counts of filing false tax returns. He earlier pleaded guilty to one count of credit card fraud.

Rufai pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to file false tax returns and one count of credit card fraud.

Both men are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Harry L. Hupp on Oct. 20. Herbert faces up to 85 years in federal prison and a $4-million fine. Rufai faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.