Steal from the IRS to pay the IRS

[The Observer]

Man Gets Almost 6 Years for Pocketing Phony Tax Refunds

Denver Post
August 6, 2007

Man Gets Almost 6 Years for Pocketing Phony Tax Refunds
By Don Knox

A notorious former fugitive is again in hot water, this time for stealing from the IRS, ostensibly to make restitution to - of all people - the IRS.

"Only an idiot would do that," a federal judge in Denver told Thomas W. Quintin.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Wiley Daniel sentenced Quintin to nearly six years in prison for probation violations and for receiving tax refunds in the name of hundreds of people who died as far back as the 1960s.

Quintin ran his "Quick and Easy Tax Service" at 1800 S. Sheridan Blvd. The scheme, which stood to generate $700,000 in illicit gains, unraveled when a technician at an online tax-software company saw that many returns came from the same Internet address.

In the 1990s, Quintin, living as a Cherry Hills gas-station magnate, stole millions in fuel taxes but fled to the Cayman Islands.

He was captured in Canada, returned to Denver, jailed for two years and ordered to repay $14 million, court records and testimony show.

He was indicted this year in the new scheme. Quintin pleaded guilty and told Daniel that he filed the fake tax returns so he could pay restitution on his earlier fraud.

Besides imposing a 46-month sentence for the tax-filing scheme, Daniel handed Quintin two additional years for the probation violations.

Daniel also ordered Quintin to pay restitution of $282,588 to the U.S. Treasury in monthly installments of at least $100.

[Bashful]

At $100 a month, that is what? About 235 years to pay restitution? What a deal...

Maybe he would be in the market for a reverse mortgage.

[webhick]

He was indicted this year in the new scheme. Quintin pleaded guilty and told Daniel that he filed the fake tax returns so he could pay restitution on his earlier fraud.

Huh, it's a new take on "robbing Peter to pay Paul". I guess now it's okay to "rob Peter to pay Peter". Observer, here's that $20 I owe you. Oh, and by the way, here's your wallet back.