CLEARWATER – Clearwater police and the Internal Revenue Service worked a joint investigation that resulted in the arrest of Carlos Johnson, 23, for fraudulent tax returns, according to a police report.
Johnson allegedly filed more than 200 fraudulent returns that resulted in an estimated $1.7 million loss to the U.S. government. He was taken into custody at his Palm Harbor home on Oct. 26 and is facing federal charges.
Earlier this year, Clearwater police contacted the IRS after receiving multiple fraudulent return cases. Police reached out to the IRS to establish partnership to thoroughly investigate these cases. Clearwater police was the first department to have an IRS special agent assigned to them to work side by side.
Johnson appeared in federal court on Oct. 26, and bond was set at $50,000.
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