Houstonian gets 2 years for bribing IRS — with pizza

[WoodysGirl]

By MARY FLOOD
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

May 22, 2009, 5:45PM

Moral of this story: Don’t try to bribe the IRS with pizza, officials aren’t that hungry.

Ramesh G. Khilnani, 51, a native of India and a Houston-area resident, learned that lesson to the tune of the two-year prison sentence he received from a federal judge on Friday for bribing a public official.

In February 2008, the restaurant owner asked the IRS agent investigating him if she wanted to “work” for him after the audit showed Khilnani owed about $49,000 in back taxes from 2004 to 2007, a release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson said.

The auditor reported the suspicious incident to her supervisor and started recording her future meetings with Khilnani.

That’s how the IRS got him for not only nearly $50,000 in back taxes but also for offering the agent a $2,500 bribe. He delivered $2,000 of the bribe before his arrest, the release said.

Authorities said Khilnani, who is subject to deportation to India after he serves his sentence, “repeatedly offered the agent pizza from his restaurant as part of the deal.”

mary.flood@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/6437635.html

 

[Yeagermeister]

Why do people think they can get away with this kind of stuff? :laugh1:

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Why do people think they can get away with this kind of stuff? :laugh1:

what do you mean, "people"?

btw, 2500 is alot of pizza

 

[Rampage]

crazy Texans

 

[MetalHead]

Was it delivery,or DiGiorno's?

 

[theogt]

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs/releases/May 2009/052209Khilnani.htm

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BRIBING AN IRS AGENT

(HOUSTON) - Ramesh G. Khilnani, 51, a native of India and a Houston area resident, has been sentenced to prison for attempting to bribe an IRS agent, acting United States Attorney Tim Johnson anounced today.

U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. today sentenced Khilnani to 24 months in federal prison for his bribery of a public official conviction. Khilnani has been in federal custody since his arrest in October 2008 and will remain in custody to serve his sentence.

Khilnani was convicted of bribery of a public official after pleading guilty. The charge is the result of an investigation initiated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) in February 2008 after an IRS agent reported being asked to “work” for Khilnani after an IRS audit of Khilnani’s business revealed he owed approximately $49,000 in back taxes for the tax years 2004 to 2007. The auditor, suspecting she was being offered a bribe, reported the incident to her supervisor.

TIGTA agents arranged for the recording of subsequent meetings – via telephone and in person – between the agent and Khilnani. During the course of these contacts, Khilnani offered the agent $2,500 and delivered $2,000 in exchange for having his tax liability reduced from $49,000 to more than $500. In addition to financial compensation, Khilnani repeatedly offered the agent pizza from his restaurant as part of the deal.

The defendant is a citizen of India and has no legal status in the United States. Khilnani is subject to deportation upon completion of his prison term.

This case was prosecuted by AUSA Sherri L. Zack.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Why do people think they can get away with this kind of stuff? :laugh1:

Because sometimes it works.

Its the same thing as those email spam offers you get. They keep sending them because some shumck actually takes them up on those offers.

It's not the spammer that needs to be killed, its the idiots that actually respond to the spammed offers. They are the ones ensuring that the spam continues.