6 more indicted in federal tax fraud probe that used Hawaii real estate holdings, banks and trusts to hide refunds

Six more people were charged in connection with a conspiracy to file false tax returns and then use Hawaii real estate holdings, banks and trusts to hide the refunds from the federal government.

At least a dozen people have been indicted for their alleged roles in the scheme so far this year, and the investigation is ongoing.

On Sept. 9 a federal grand jury returned a 45-count superseding indictment alleging that Rosemarie Lastimado-Dradi, Marcia­minajuanequita Dumlao, Elvah Miranda, Daniel Miranda, Lazerrick Lawrence and Danitta Ross Morton conspired to defraud the U.S. Additionally, Lasti­mado-Dradi was charged with aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, the Mirandas and Dumlao were charged with filing false tax returns and with making false statements under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

The superseding indictment also charged Lasti­mado-Dradi, Dumlao and Elvah Miranda with money laundering.

Three previous tax fraud indictments this year listed “co-conspirator 1” as owner of the Gimmel Group LLC, a domestic limited-liability company in Hawaii that “purported to be a personal investment business,” according to court documents. Lastimado-Dradi is listed as business agent for the company.

The Gimmel Group was incorporated April 29, 2015, and administratively terminated by the state on Dec. 7, 2018, according to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

According to the superseding indictment, from at least January 2015 through September 2018, the group allegedly filed fraudulent individual tax returns and other tax documents that reported false withholdings from mortgage lenders and then claimed substantial refunds from the IRS, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The IRS issued refunds totaling over $1 million that the group allegedly used trusts and bank accounts in the name of business entities and the trusts to launder. Lawrence also allegedly filed retaliatory liens on behalf of Dumlao and the Mirandas against an IRS employee assigned to recover the refunds.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial attorneys Sarah Kiewlicz and Valerie Preiss of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates of the U.S. Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the case.