A Kissimmee man is headed to federal prison for more than three years after admitting he filed bogus tax returns built on fuel-tax credits he was not entitled to claim. U.S. District Judge Katherine K. Mizelle sentenced Gilmar Pereira Da Silva Jr. to 37 months behind bars and ordered him to pay $103,646 in restitution following his guilty plea in February. The suspect filings, which covered the 2019, 2020, and 2021 tax years, triggered a federal investigation.
How prosecutors say the filings worked
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida, Pereira Da Silva’s 2021 Form 1040 tried to reel in a $3,413,844 refund by claiming made-up fuel-tax credits. The filing was flagged by the IRS and never processed. Prosecutors say earlier returns told a different story with real cash: his 2019 return sought roughly $20,699, and his 2020 filing claimed about $82,947, and those refunds were actually paid into accounts he controlled. Federal authorities say that the pattern of fraudulent filings underpinned his guilty plea and the sentence that followed.
Investigation and courtroom steps
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida, Pereira Da Silva pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2026, and the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay G. Trezevant. Court records and federal filings indicate the probe was led by the IRS Criminal Investigation unit, which traced the disputed refunds and pulled together the evidence that supported the prosecution’s case.
Federal crackdown
Prosecutors framed the outcome as part of a broader federal push that ramped up after the Department of Justice announced a new National Fraud Enforcement Division on April 7 to target theft from the public treasury. That initiative is tied to a wider Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which officials say is steering resources toward schemes that siphon taxpayer dollars, including aggressive use of bogus tax credits.
Enforcement trends in Florida
IRS Criminal Investigation has been chasing similar fuel and biofuel tax-credit scams across Florida in recent years, securing multi-year prison terms in cases built on inflated production numbers or completely fabricated credits. IRS press releases have spotlighted prosecutions where these tactics produced millions in fraudulent refund claims that ultimately landed defendants in federal court.
Next steps and legal note
According to Tampa Free Press, the court’s order requires Pereira Da Silva to repay $103,646 to the U.S. Treasury while he serves the 37-month federal sentence imposed by Judge Mizelle. The single count he admitted to, filing a false tax return, carries additional potential penalties at the court’s discretion, including a period of supervised release and possible fines once his prison term ends.
