IRS employee charged in Exxon Mobil tax credit theft | Wilnesh News

predecessor IRS employee charged Utah federal court Alleged attempt to steal $2.1 million in tax credits Exxon Mobil Transfer funds by using a taxpayer database that he has access to.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that former IRS account manager Rodney Quinn Rupe After transferring Exxon Mobil tax credits to an entity he created, he received a U.S. Treasury check for $2,100,377 in January and then attempted to deposit the check into multiple accounts over the next two months. credit union locations.

Lupe, a 46-year-old man living in Syracuse, Utah, was charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and theft of government property. U.S. District Court, Salt Lake City.

He will make his first appearance in the court on July 3 to hear the case. Legal news sites highlighted the case Thursday court watch.

Lupe was working at an IRS service center Ogden, UtahHe began the diversion scheme in 2021, according to the indictment filed Wednesday.

As part of his job, Lupe “had the ability to adjust taxes, credits, penalties and interest on certain taxpayer accounts in the IRS computer database,” according to the indictment.

Rupe began accessing ExxonMobil’s taxpayer accounts through the IRS database in April 2021, and three months later accessed the database to assign newly created employer identification numbers (“EINs”) to those created and controlled by Rupe. Entity Ex Xo Exteriors Ltd.,” the indictment states.

The indictment alleges that in April 2022, Rupe accessed a repository and transferred $2.02 million in tax credits from the taxpayer account of oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil to the taxpayer account of Ex Xo Exteriors Ltd.

More than a year later, in August 2023, Lupe “accessed the IRS database to transfer transferred tax credit funds from one tax year to another,” according to the indictment.

One month later, he allegedly credited those tax credits to Ex Xo Exterior’s 2019 tax account, causing the IRS to refund Ex Xo Exterior $2.1 million in the form of a Treasury Department check, the indictment states.

He then attempted to deposit the check at multiple America First Credit Union locations.

An IRS spokesman had no immediate comment on the case.

CNBC has asked ExxonMobil to comment on the indictment; the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City, which is prosecuting the case; Rupe’s defense attorney; a spokesperson for America First Credit Union; investigated.