US Fugitive Arrested in Belize and Deported

A man accused of tax fraud was arrested in Belize and deported to the US earlier this year. He is Thomas Johnson, formerly of Tampa, Florida. Authorities here arrested Johnson in January. He faces charges for aiding in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. Johnson allegedly prepared and filed false tax returns on behalf of his clients, and they, in turn, split large refunds they were not entitled to with him. Johnson is one of the 79 criminal fugitives in Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras that has been located as part of a criminal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS says that it will go after anyone who thinks they can cheat the US government and simply flee to the south. It is more difficult for these fugitives to escape justice given the important assistance rendered by the host country. Eight fugitives have been apprehended to face criminal proceedings or sentences.