Man accused of IRS fraud to pay $400K

Okunoghae, 41, agrees to plea deal for alleged role in fraud, money laundering

TEXARKANA, Texas — A man accused in a scheme involving identity theft, fraudulent tax returns and money laundering has agreed to pay more than $400,000 in restitution to the government as part of a plea agreement in a Texarkana federal court.

Osazuwa Peter Okunoghae told U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven he has graduated law school and that his role in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service mainly involved money laundering. Okunoghae agreed to plead guilty to count 19 listed in a 22-page, 19-count indictment issued in March of this year by a federal grand jury in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas.

Several aliases are listed in the indictment for Okunoghae, 41, including “Sazzy Pe,” “Lee Hong,” and “Zheng Kong.” Okunoghae lived in Nigeria, Louisiana and Texas during the period of alleged wrongdoing.

Also named in the indictment are Michael Martin of Texarkana, Texas, and Michelle Coppolla of Virginia.

The scheme allegedly involved at least a dozen financial institutions where ill-gotten tax refunds were deposited, transferred and withdrawn including Domino Credit Union and Red River Credit Union in Texarkana. The defendants allegedly used stolen identities and phony W2 forms to claim $1,117,697 in refunds from the IRS.

Okunoghae appeared Tuesday morning in Texarkana’s downtown federal building with Dallas lawyer Dimitri Dube and entered a plea of guilty to the indictment’s last count, conspiracy to commit money laundering. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hornok, who was standing in for Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Kummerfeld, said at the hearing that the government expects to move to dismiss the remaining

counts pending against Okunoghae at sentencing.

Craven reviewed the possible punishment for conspiracy to commit money laundering; up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine up to $500,000, or both. Hornok said Okunoghae’s plea deal includes a maximum 10-year term and restitution of $451,117.63.

As Craven reviewed a standard litany of questions defendants are posed at plea hearings she said, “You probably understand everything in the plea agreement having a law degree.”

Craven explained that officials with pretrial services will meet with Okunoghae to conduct a presentence investigation. Once a report detailing the findings of the investigation and including a recommendation for punishment is received by the court, Okunoghae will be scheduled for formal sentencing before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III.

Okunoghae has been in custody since his arrest in Houston in February and will remain in federal custody pending sentencing.

Martin appeared Jan. 31 before Craven with Texarkana lawyer David Crisp and entered pleas of not guilty. Martin was released on a $10,000 unsecured appearance bond. He is scheduled for a February jury trial before Schroeder.

Court records do not show that Coppolla has been arrested or that she has appeared in court on the charges pending against her.