Hamilton resident sentenced for fraudulent child tax benefit claims

HAMILTON, ON, April 10, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that, on April 3, 2019, Edwin Omorogieva Woghiren of Hamilton, Ontario, was sentenced to a one year conditional sentence and was fined a total of $115,673. Woghiren pleaded guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in Hamilton, to charges of creating and submitting false Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) applications on behalf of himself and his spouse, knowing that neither of them were entitled to these benefits, as the children either do not exist or have never entered Canada.

A CRA investigation revealed that Woghiren submitted fabricated documents to support the CCTB applications, including falsified birth certificates, school records, medical records, and landlord records (letters and rent receipts). As a result, a total of $231,345 in false CCTB was claimed and a total of $137,887 was received during the period from May 20, 2011, to February 20, 2013, inclusively, before the fraudulent claims were discovered.

All case-specific information above was obtained from the court records.

Tax evasion is a crime. Falsification of records and claims, willfully not reporting income, or inflating expenses can lead to criminal charges, prosecution, jail time, and a criminal record. In 2017-2018, 14 taxpayers were sent to jail for a total of 488 months (41 years). Currently, the CRA is investigating cases representing over $400 million in potential federal taxes evaded.

Cheating on your taxes affects the services and programs we all rely on to improve our quality of life. While most Canadians obey the tax laws and pay their taxes, The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) maintains various programs to protect the integrity of the tax system.

The CRA has set up a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current on the CRA's enforcement efforts.

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency

Media Relations, Canada Revenue Agency, 416-952-8105, [email protected]