A Miami resident, Dan Rotta, has been sentenced to five years in prison for a scheme that defrauded the United States by hiding millions in Swiss bank accounts and misleading the IRS. Between 1985 and 2020, Rotta concealed over $20 million across multiple Swiss banks under his name and pseudonyms, using these assets to fund a luxurious lifestyle without reporting them on tax returns.
The IRS uncovered Rotta’s actions after an audit revealed false claims about ownership of foreign assets. Despite denying ownership during the audit, he continued to use these funds while presenting fake promissory notes and affidavits as evidence of loans from foreign nationals.
Rotta’s attempts to reverse IRS assessments included filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. Even after initially convincing the IRS of loan repayments, further investigation showed these repayments were fictitious.
In 2019, aware that more records would be disclosed by Switzerland contradicting his claims, Rotta applied for the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice but continued with deceptive statements regarding asset ownership.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith sentenced Rotta to three additional years of supervised release following his prison term. The restitution amount will be determined later.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida along with other Justice Department officials and investigated by special agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes group.
