Suwanee man convicted in false tax return case

ATLANTA - A Suwanee man faces sentencing this spring in connection with filing a false tax return to the tune of a $1.7 million refund claim.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 55 year old Donus R. Sroufe was convicted Wednesday of interfering with the administration of revenue laws and making a false claim for the tax refund.

Sroufe falsely claimed that he received $2.5 million from a U.S. Treasury bond, and that he had paid over $2.6 million in federal taxes for 2008. The $2.5 million bond was a fake and he had not paid any income taxes for the year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Fortunately, the IRS intercepted the return and, as a result, no taxpayer funds were paid out. Given the present climate with the federal budget, it is critically important to prevent fraudsters from stealing tax funds instead of paying them," United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.

Sentencing is May 30.

According to Yates' office, the most serious of the charges, filing a false claim, carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.