The IRS has its own law enforcement branch called the Criminal Investigation Division. This group is responsible for looking into possible criminal violations of tax laws and other money-related crimes connected to taxes. IRS Criminal Investigation agents are extensively trained and have strong technical and legal skills. They also have the full resources and backing of the Internal Revenue Service. For this reason, if they are investigating you for potential criminal activity, you need to talk to a federal attorney who knows how to handle these serious and complex cases.

Ryan Willis Law provides strong criminal defense for people facing serious charges in state or federal court. He has handled more than 30 jury trials, including several not-guilty verdicts in federal court. Ryan has worked on many kinds of criminal cases, including white-collar crimes. 

Because he has experience on both the prosecution and defense sides, he understands how each works. This helps him build effective, personalized strategies for every client. His is one of the few law firms in the country with federal criminal defense lawyers who have the experience and skill needed to stand up to the IRS and its legal and investigative teams. 

What is the Federal Bureau of Investigation?

The agency that handles the majority of federal crimes is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI investigates lots of different cases, like those involving spying, terrorism, organized crime, corruption, and cybercrime. They also work very closely with local and state police via joint task forces, typically under the watchful eye of the Department of Justice.

During the past few years, the FBI has extended its reach to include computer-based offenses and intricate financial crimes, such as large-scale data breaches, identity theft, and hacking. Agents regularly work with other agencies like the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to trace money across borders and track down digital evidence.

By the time the FBI gets involved in a case, it typically means that the government has already dedicated months to surveilling people, collecting evidence, talking to insiders, and collecting electronic data. By the time federal agents begin mailing out subpoenas and calling eyewitnesses, prosecutors are probably already collaborating with a grand jury.

What Crimes Are Investigated by the IRS-CI?

IRS-CI investigates four major categories of crime. They are:

• Illegal source: These are crimes like gambling or money laundering that don’t directly break tax laws but still involve money that was earned illegally and never taxed.
• Legal source: Most tax crimes fall into this group. These cases involve things like false refund claims, dishonest tax preparers, and people who do not file their tax returns. This category also includes crimes related to employment taxes and excise taxes.
• Counterterrorism financing: The IRS helps track down money that may be used to support terrorist activities in the United States or other countries.
• Narcotics-related: The illegal drug trade moves huge amounts of money that are never taxed. The IRS works to uncover drug activity by going after crimes like fraud, tax evasion, drug trafficking, and other unlawful offenses tied to drugs and the cash made from them.

Handling IRS Agents

At Ryan Willis Law, PLLC, we urge you to contact us as soon as you find out the IRS is investigating you. The IRS usually spends between one and three years building a case. While that is ongoing, we can try to prevent charges from being filed and start creating a strong defense. We can also begin working on ways to protect your career and your reputation.

You should not face the IRS’s criminal investigators by yourself. Our experienced federal criminal defense lawyers can step in to protect your rights, your freedom, and your reputation.

How to Defend Yourself Against an IRS-CI/FBI Investigation

Even though IRS Criminal Investigation cases and IRS audits can deal with the same issues, an IRS-CI investigation is much more serious and needs to be handled differently. These cases are very specialized, so it’s important to choose a defense firm that knows how to deal with them.

Every federal criminal defense lawyer at our firm has a lot of experience handling IRS Criminal Investigation cases. We have a strong track record of protecting clients from serious federal charges. This includes helping clients avoid charges for:

• Tax evasion
• Tax fraud
• Making dishonest statements to FBI investigators or IRS agents 
• Offshore disclosure and account violations
• Identity theft, money laundering, wire fraud, and many other white-collar crimes
• Attempt and conspiracy
• Aiding and abetting

IRS-CI is the branch of the IRS that conducts criminal investigations, but it does not only look into tax crimes. It also investigates many other types of financial and federal crimes, whether they involve taxes or not.

IRS-CI Special Agents often work together with the FBI, the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies. This means that people or businesses under investigation are often being looked at by several agencies at the same time. We have the skill and experience needed to handle big, complex investigations. We only take on a limited number of cases, focusing on high-net-worth and high-income clients who are facing serious legal risks.

Voluntary Disclosure Submission

Along with defending clients in serious IRS-CI investigations, we also help people and businesses try to avoid being investigated in the first place. If you are worried that IRS-CI might look into you, but you are not yet under investigation, you might be able to prevent one by filing a voluntary disclosure.

However, there is no guarantee that you won’t be prosecuted, and telling the government about a possible crime can be very risky. That’s why you need a careful, well-planned approach before doing anything.

Even though it can be risky, making a voluntary disclosure is the best choice for some people. If you think your company or you might be in danger of an IRS-CI investigation, we can work with you to determine whether or not a voluntary disclosure is right for you. If it is, we can prepare it for you and work directly with IRS-CI to try to reach a good outcome and help you avoid being indicted by a grand jury.

Possible Outcomes of a Federal Criminal Investigation

Whether you are being looked at by IRS CI or thinking about making a voluntary disclosure, you need to understand how serious a federal criminal investigation can be. An IRS audit might cost you money, but a criminal case can lead to much more severe consequences.

Criminal charges can bring more than just fines; they can also lead to time in federal prison. Most tax-related crimes have maximum sentences of one to five years. But crimes like wire fraud or money laundering can carry much longer sentences, sometimes 20 to 30 years.

Call Ryan Willis Law, PLLC

If the IRS is investigating you for a crime, contact Ryan Willis Law, PLLC right away at (919) 341-6294 or fill out our quick online form. Our federal criminal defense lawyers will step in quickly and effectively. From our Raleigh office, we help clients across North Carolina and throughout the United States.