Three Indian-Americans face bribery charges

Three Indian-Americans face up to 15 years in prison if they are convicted in a bribery case in the United States, a website has reported. The case is said to be the largest in the US involving bribery in a revenue office.

 

The owners of a Los Banos-based trucking company-- Kulwant Lasher, 50, Tarlachan Lasher, 52, and Jaswinder Lasher, 47--have been accused of bribing an internal revenue service officer to abate a tax liability of more than $2 million.

 

The owners of Lasher Brothers Trucking Co. Inc. initially appeared before US Magistrate Judge Sandra M. Snyder in US. district court in Fresno, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Oberto.

 

"We requested they be detained," she said, adding that a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Friday in Fresno.

 

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on October 5, the Lasher brothers offered to pay an IRS revenue officer, who was working undercover in cooperation with US department of treasury's inspector general for tax administration, $600,000 in cash to eliminate approximately $2.4

million in delinquent federal taxes and penalties.

 

The complaint said as part of the alleged bribery scheme, the defendants actually paid the revenue officer more than $54,000 in cash and handed over a quitclaim deed for Kulwant Lasher's residence in Los Banos, the website said.

 

Meanwhile, a woman, who identified herself as a family member, refused to comment  on the alleged bribery charges, the website added.

 

"Instead of complying with federal tax laws, these individuals chose to resolve their tax issues by bribing an IRS revenue officer, which resulted in their arrests," the website quoted an official as saying.