A Lawrenceville man has pleaded guilty to using fake companies to collect $530,000 in fraudulent tax returns and unemployment benefits, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Lashawn Porcher, 32, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. He entered the plea in federal court in Newark, New Jersey on March 27.
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In New Jersey, Porcher incorporated multiple fake companies which existed on paper but did not conduct business, have offices or employ workers, the Justice Department said in a release. Porcher used two of those fake businesses, Computer Tyme Corporation and Cleaning Experience Corporation, to seek unemployment insurance benefits for himself and others, who clamed to be employees of the companies. They received nearly $437,000 using this scheme.
Porcher also used companies, named Cleaning Time and The Dream Team, to file false federal tax returns for himself and others who claimed to be employees. They received more than $103,000 in tax refunds this way.
Porcher will be sentenced in July. He is eligible for up to 23 years in prison; including up to 20 for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and up to three for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.
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