Case # 13CF3627
Date: October 7, 2015
BUSINESS OWNER CONVICTED OF $120,000 TAX FRAUD AND FAILING TO PAY EMPLOYEES PREVAILING WAGE ON PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Orange County business owner was convicted today of committing over $120,000 in tax fraud and failing to pay employees prevailing wage for work performed on two public works contracts. Shamseddin Hashemi-Mousavi, 63, Irvine, was found guilty by a jury of 37 felony counts including taking and receiving a portion of worker’s wage on public works, attempted taking and receiving a portion of worker’s wage on public works, forgery, recording false and forged instruments, and willful failure to pay tax. He faces a maximum sentence of 26 years and eight months in state prison and determine restitution at his sentencing, Jan. 8, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-28, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
At the time of the crime, Hashemi-Mousavi owned AAA-HVAC, an Orange County-based heating and air conditioning business.
Between 2009 and 2012, the defendant applied for and received two public works contracts in Los Angeles County. For these projects, Hashemi-Mousavi fraudulently paid several of his employees less than the prevailing wage in cash or by check and kept the extra money owed to his employees for himself.
Hashemi-Mousavi forged, falsified, and submitted bank records to fraudulently show that his employees had been paid their prevailing wage. He willfully failed to pay his tax to the Employment Development Department. In all, the defendant committed over $120,000 in fraud.
The case was investigated by the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Contract Administration and the California Labor Commissioner’s Office (Department of Industrial Relations).
Deputy District Attorney Donde McCament of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fraud Unit is prosecuting this case.