Former IRS Supervisor Who Scammed Gov’t Out Of Thousands Sentenced To Prison

A former supervisor at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Philadelphia was handed a 13-month federal prison sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty to filing fake tax returns and producing records that cost the agency over $73,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Wayne M. Garvin, 57, was a supervisory associate advocate at the IRS. But between 2012 and 2016, Garvin prepared and filed personal income tax returns that included fake charity contributions as well as fake expenses and deductions in connection with his residence and rental properties, said the DOJ.

Garvin deducted $16,000 in fake expenses on his 2013 tax return in connection with his U.S. Army Reserves employment, said the DOJ, even though he did not do any work with the reserves that year.

Garvin, who is now living in South Carolina, sent fake documents to the IRS after discovering he was being criminally investigated, according to the DOJ.

“Court documents also show that after the IRS began an audit of his 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Garvin attempted to obstruct the audit by submitting fictitious documents to the IRS,” said the DOJ, noting that Garvin justified his false expenses and deductions by submitting church receipts, contractor invoices and an Army letter.

Garvin was ordered to pay roughly $74,000 in restitution to the IRS, said the DOJ. The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Garvin.

A spokesman for the IRS declined to comment.