Fraud Friday: Largest tax evasion case in U.S. history


Al Capone may be the most famous tax evader, but American telephone entrepreneur Walter Anderson was convicted in the largest tax evasion case in U.S. history. Anderson admitted to using aliases, shell companies, offshore tax havens, and secret accounts to hide $365 million of income. In 1998, Anderson admitted earning more than $126 million, but he had claimed $67,939 on his federal income tax return, and paid only $495 in taxes. But because of a typo in the plea agreement, Anderson was relieved of paying $175 million of his restitution. Anderson still had to pay $23 million in restitution to the District of Columbia.

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