A 64-year-old Pembroke Township man, Larry Dean Gibbs, was found guilty of concocting a tax fraud scheme by a federal jury last week. Gibbs, of E. 6000 Road, faced allegations that he falsely reported earning $10 million annually for three years from the so-called "Larry Dean Gibbs Estate," according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. The jury convicted him on three counts of filing false federal income tax returns, setting the stage for his sentencing, which is on deck for July 17, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
The two-day trial revealed that Gibbs, released from federal prison for a similar offense not long ago, claimed to be owed refunds totaling an eye-watering $6.8 million. In an odd twist, Gibbs had also recast himself as Mulumbua Humraukn El Taikem Bey, purporting to be an ambassador for an unrecognized entity dubbed the Al Moroccan Empire National Republic. This all came to light in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris highlighted the collaborative law enforcement efforts, saying, "the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to protect our society by actively prosecuting individuals who defraud the government and, ultimately, honest taxpayers." Amid the evidence, Gibbs blatantly disregarded the Internal Revenue Code, according to Justin Campbell, the Special Agent in Charge at the IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. "We look forward to the conclusion of this case at sentencing," Campbell added, with the echo of the courtroom still fresh.
Meanwhile, Gibbs, despite his conviction, isn't behind bars just yet. He's cooling his heels at home, pending sentencing, abiding by the conditions of his bond, which notably includes home detention. When sentenced, Gibbs could be looking at the end of a bar of a maximum of nine years in prison and up to $300,000 in fines, as he faces up to three years of imprisonment and a $100,000 fine for each of the three counts of conviction, as detailed by the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The thorough investigation that led to Gibbs's latest rendezvous with justice was a tandem effort between the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Field Office. The government's case was spearheaded by Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Eugene L. Miller. Meanwhile, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the FBI, affirmed the bureau's dedication to pursuing those who engage in fraudulent exploits. "We will continue to take strong action against those who seek to profit illegally from the theft of taxpayer dollars," Wheeler stated.
