A Virginia attorney pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony charge of filing a false tax return, admitting he concealed a substantial portion of his income from the IRS over a five-year period. Asim Ghafoor, of Ashburn, faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when he is sentenced in September.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ghafoor operated a law practice in Virginia with clients in several states, including Michigan. From 2012 through 2016, Ghafoor personally prepared and filed false individual income tax returns that significantly underreported the income generated by his law practice.
The deliberate underreporting of income by Ghafoor resulted in a total tax loss to the IRS of $354,634.
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Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement regarding Ghafoor’s guilty plea.
Ghafoor is scheduled to be sentenced on September 23. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Richard J. Kelley and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
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