Feds: 2 Canadians took $730,000 in fake IRS checks

Two Canadian men have been charged with depositing very large, illigitimate IRS refund checks.

The Associated Press

SEATTLE —

Two Canadian men have been charged with depositing very large, illigitimate IRS refund checks.

Donald Mason, of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, and John Chung, of Kelowna, British Columbia, were arrested last week and made their initial appearances Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle on charges of stealing public money.

Investigators say Mason opened a Bank of America account in Bellingham and deposited a $360,000, while Chung opened one in Seattle and deposited $370,000. The IRS says the money came from fraudulent nonresident alien income tax returns for 2006.

Bank officials got wise to the scheme and called the police on Thursday when the pair tried to withdraw some of the money. Investigators say Mason had already wired $2,000 to a Canadian bank account, and Chung had taken out tens of thousands of dollars.

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