Vista
A federal grand jury in Los Angels indicted a Vista man Friday for allegedly filing fake tax returns and collecting more than $227,000 in unearned refunds, the Internal Revenue Service said.
Robert Etienne Leonard, 46, is charged with 19 counts of mail fraud, making false claims against the government, forging signatures on government checks and stealing government property, according to the indictment.
If convicted on all counts, Leonard could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prisons and a $1 million fine, the IRS said.
Leonard was arrested March 17 in Dana Point and is being held without bail in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. His attorney, H. Dean Steward, said bail was denied because Leonard was considered likely to flee. He is scheduled to be arraigned April 8.
Using rented mailboxes in Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano, and a series of false names and Social Security numbers, Leonard allegedly filed 28 fake income tax returns and then claimed refunds, all in amounts under $5,000.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
