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Man sentenced to federal prison for tax refund scheme

A Southern California man who defrauded the IRS of nearly $800,000 in a tax refund scheme was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in federal prison.

Judas Godina, 39, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, according to Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden.

The scheme was carried out in 2010 with Godina’s co-defendants, Felix and Walter Guzman, who are fugitives, Bogden said.

Godina admitted in his plea agreement to preparing phony tax returns for people that showed large refunds and then demanding a cut of the refunds for himself.

He was ordered to surrender to federal prison authorities by Jan. 16.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ.

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