Press Release
☷Fugitive Deported to the United States for Sentencing After More Than 21 Years
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
May 05,2022
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Fled in 2000 After Being Convicted on Tax Charges A former California man made a court appearance earlier this week after being apprehended and deported from Costa Rica , so that he could be sentenced by a federal judge on his U . S . conviction for tax crimes . In December 2000 , Robin J . McPherson , formerly of San Diego , and two co - conspirators were found guilty at trial of conspiring to defraud the IRS and tax evasion . According to evidence presented at trial , McPherson was the President , Chief Operating Officer and co - owner of Continental Wireless Cable Inc . , a telemarketing company that sold more than $30 million in purported partnership interests in wireless cable systems before being shut down by the Securities and Exchange Commission . McPherson and his co - conspirators took steps to evade paying taxes on profits earned by Continental Wireless Cable Inc . , causing a tax loss to the IRS of more than $1 million in taxes . Following McPherson’s trial conviction in 2000 , the district court ordered him and his co - defendants to appear for sentencing in March 2001 . Instead , McPherson fled the United States and did not return for the sentencing hearing . “It is fitting that Robin McPherson was arrested and returned to the United States to be sentenced on his tax crime convictions , ” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M . Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division . “While honest Americans are paying their fair share this filing season , they will be reminded that the department and IRS will ensure that those who have defrauded the IRSs are held fully accountable , no matter how long it takes . ”“This defendant dodged both his taxes and his sentencing hearing , ” said U . S . Attorney Randy S . Grossman for the Southern District of California . “Thanks to the FBI and Costa Rican authorities , he’ll now be held responsible for both . ”“The defendant was convicted for his role in a complex financial fraud scheme in 2000 and fled the U . S . before he was sentenced , ” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office . “This international arrest and deportation , more than two decades later , should serve as notice to FBI fugitives worldwide - neither time nor distance will deter the FBI from tracking down wanted fugitives and holding them accountable in U . S . courts . The FBI is proud to work alongside IRS - Criminal Investigation , and I specifically want to thank the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Panama City for their outstanding work in coordinating with local authorities in Costa Rica to locate and arrest the defendant . ” “It has been more than 20 years since the defendant was convicted in federal court for tax crimes , ” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan L . Korner of IRS - Criminal Investigation . “After eluding the authorities as a fugitive , McPherson was finally caught and is now being brought back to the United States to face his crimes . Criminals may think that they can run and evade justice , but we as a law enforcement agency will continue to hold them accountable . ”McPherson is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date . McPherson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the conspiracy and tax evasion counts . He also faces a period of supervised release , restitution and monetary penalties . A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U . S . Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors . McPherson is also wanted to stand trial in the District of Oregon for fraud and money laundering charges . In October 2020 , McPherson was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Oregon for his role in a fraud scheme in which he allegedly solicited $1 . 2 million in investments from victims in a fake Costa Rican real estate development opportunity . McPherson allegedly used investor funds to pay for various personal expenses including his own mortgage . The United States is grateful to the Government of Costa Rica for its cooperation and support in apprehending McPherson , as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs , the U . S . Marshals Service and the FBI Legat Panama City . IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation . The U . S . Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California provided significant assistance . Former Tax Division trial attorneys Danny N . Roetzel and Lori A . Hendrickson prosecuted the case . A criminal complaint is merely an allegation , and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law .
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