IRS Agent Caught for Taking Bribe
An IRS agent in the Twin Cities was caught accepting a bribe in a situation set up by the FBI. Roger Anthony Coombs allegedly offered two businessmen in Minneapolis a deal whereby he would slash their tax liability by more than 80% if they would pay him $9,700 for his services.
Coombs himself had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy earlier on April 21 in which he declared personal liabilities of $607,676 against assets of only $358,205. He owes creditors on mortgages, second mortgages, 9 different student loans and was behind on his child support among other debts. He claimed that his IRS take-home salary of $2,300 was insufficient for him to pay of his debts.
Last June, 40 year old Coombs from Blaine was hired as an auditor for the IRS with the responsibilities of reviewing individual and corporate taxpayers’ filings to ensure they had made them correctly. On February 4, Coombs allegedly sent a letter to a businessman, whom the IRS identified only as ‘customer 1’stating that his 2008 tax return has been chosen for audit. The letter also stated that many documents would be examined, many of which were pertaining to a small business CW1 shared with another businessman, whom the IRS identified as ‘customer 2’.
On May 6, because of the letter, CW1 and CW2 met up with Coombs to discuss the issue. Coombs revealed that records show that CW1 and CW2’s business owed the IRS between $30,000 and $35,000 in taxes. He went on to ask how much they could pay. CW2 told Coombs they could come up with about $20,000. Then Coombs allegedly told the businessmen that he could help them out and invited them to discuss the matter further at another date and place, without their accountant’s knowledge.
It was then that CW2 became suspicious of Coombs and decided to record their coming conversation. Two days later the three met in a Minneapolis restaurant. Coombs allegedly told the two businessmen that they owed the IRS $60,000. Then he allegedly went on to suggest a scheme where he would arrange for the IRS to accept $11,000 as full payment and solicited for a $9,700 compensation for himself. In order to pull it off, Coombs allegedly claimed he had to lie about some things but that his superiors in the IRS would trust his judgment without question.
The businessmen turned the recordings over to the FBI. In the course of investigations, the FBI arranged with the Treasury to hand over to one of the businessmen $3,000 in marked bills. In a subsequent meeting with Coombs, the money was handed over to Coombs and the incident was secretly filmed by the FBI. The two arranged to meet again June 2 for the next payment.
At the meeting which took place at the parking lot of a fitness club at Silver Lake Road in New Brighton, FBI agents moved in to arrest Coombs.
Darrin T. Mish is a veteran, nationally recognized tax attorney who has focused on providing IRS help to taxpayers for over a decade. He regularly travels the country training other attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents on how to handle their toughest cases with the IRS. He is highly ranked among the top attorneys in the country, with an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a perfect 10 on Avvo.com. Martindale-Hubbell has also honored him with a listing in their Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. With clients on every continent but Antarctica, he has what it takes to solve your IRS problems no matter where you live in the world. If you would like more information about his practice and how he can help you, please call his office at (813) 229-7100 or toll free at 1-888-GET-MISH.
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