Hawaii couple sentenced for nationwide IRS fraud scheme

A Hawaii couple, Beverly Braumuller-Hawver and Scott Hawver of Ewa Beach, has been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a nationwide tax refund fraud scheme. Braumuller-Hawver received 16 months, while Hawver received 24 months, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The couple was also ordered to pay $182,438.37 in restitution to the United States.

Between February 2015 and November 2018, the pair used fraudulent tax documents provided by a promoter to file an amended 2014 federal income tax return. The return included a fabricated IRS Form 1099-MISC, which falsely claimed a mortgage company had paid Scott Hawver $749,163 in income and withheld $424,163 in federal taxes. This deception led the IRS to issue a fraudulent refund of $192,845.

Following the receipt of the refund, the couple moved the funds into a newly opened bank account and transferred $170,000 to an account held by their music business, BeverlyB Music LLC. They used these funds to pay co-conspirators and purchase gold and silver coins. To obstruct recovery efforts by the IRS, the couple engaged in frivolous legal actions, including filing petitions in U.S. Tax Court and initiating civil RICO lawsuits against IRS employees.