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| Swiss banker's leaked letter leads to $184m US tax-dodging case | Swiss banker's leaked letter leads to $184m US tax-dodging case |
| (4 months later) | |
| US authorities have been able to bring charges against 60 people accused of hiding $184m (£122m) from the taxman after the Swiss banker who allegedly helped them hide their money accidentally posted a list of his clients. | US authorities have been able to bring charges against 60 people accused of hiding $184m (£122m) from the taxman after the Swiss banker who allegedly helped them hide their money accidentally posted a list of his clients. |
| Prosecutors said the only reason they had been able to identify the alleged tax avoiders was because Beda Singenberger's client list ended up in the hands of authorities. | Prosecutors said the only reason they had been able to identify the alleged tax avoiders was because Beda Singenberger's client list ended up in the hands of authorities. |
| Assistant US attorney Dan Levy said: "[Singenberger] was sending mail to someone in the United States, and apparently in error he included a list of US taxpayers. The government has mined that list to great effect and prosecuted a number of people who were on that list." | Assistant US attorney Dan Levy said: "[Singenberger] was sending mail to someone in the United States, and apparently in error he included a list of US taxpayers. The government has mined that list to great effect and prosecuted a number of people who were on that list." |
| Singenberger's client list has already led to the prosecution of Jacques Wajsfelner, an 83-year-old who pleaded guilty to hiding $5.7m from the internal revenue (IRS) earlier this month. | Singenberger's client list has already led to the prosecution of Jacques Wajsfelner, an 83-year-old who pleaded guilty to hiding $5.7m from the internal revenue (IRS) earlier this month. |
| At Wajsfelner's sentencing in a New York court, Levy told the judge that the list was the only reason Wajsfelner had been identified and prosecuted. | At Wajsfelner's sentencing in a New York court, Levy told the judge that the list was the only reason Wajsfelner had been identified and prosecuted. |
| "People who hide money in Switzerland are extraordinarily difficult for law enforcement to identify," Levy added, according to Bloomberg. | "People who hide money in Switzerland are extraordinarily difficult for law enforcement to identify," Levy added, according to Bloomberg. |
| Wajsfelner's lawyer Jeffrey Denner said the list had "put a lot of people in the frying pan". | Wajsfelner's lawyer Jeffrey Denner said the list had "put a lot of people in the frying pan". |
| It is not clear how the list – which included clients' names, addresses, Swiss bank accounts and details of how they were hiding their money from the IRS – ended up in the hands of prosecutors. | It is not clear how the list – which included clients' names, addresses, Swiss bank accounts and details of how they were hiding their money from the IRS – ended up in the hands of prosecutors. |
| Singenberger, who hid money in offshore accounts with names such as Real Cool Investments and Lucky Overseas Ventures, has been charged with conspiracy. | Singenberger, who hid money in offshore accounts with names such as Real Cool Investments and Lucky Overseas Ventures, has been charged with conspiracy. |
| Jeffrey Neiman, a former federal prosecutor, said: "It proves that no matter how hard clients try to conceal assets overseas, darn human error can always get in the way." | Jeffrey Neiman, a former federal prosecutor, said: "It proves that no matter how hard clients try to conceal assets overseas, darn human error can always get in the way." |
| • This article was amended on 30 April 2013 because the original said Jacques Wajsfelner was jailed. Wajsfelner was placed on probation, but not jailed. | • This article was amended on 30 April 2013 because the original said Jacques Wajsfelner was jailed. Wajsfelner was placed on probation, but not jailed. |
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