INDICTMENT CHARGES OWNER OF AUTOMOBILE WHOLESALE BUSINESSES

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, United States Department of Justice; and Brian J. Wimpling, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, returned an Indictment charging Bruce Stelzenmuller, a/k/a Bruce Muller, with criminal tax charges, bank fraud charges, conspiracy charges and making false statements to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). If convicted, Stelzenmuller faces a maximum statutory penalty with respect to each count as follows: 1) Count 1, conspiracy to commit FDIC fraud, 30 years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine, or both; 2) Counts 2-8, FDIC fraud charges, 30 years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine, or both; 3) Count 9, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 30 years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine; 4) Count 10, bank fraud, 30 years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine, or both; 5) Count 11, conspiracy, 5 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, or both; and 6) Counts 12 and 13, tax evasion, 5 years’ imprisonment and a $100,000 fine, or both on each Count.

As set forth in the Indictment, Bruce Stelzenmuller owned and operated automobile wholesale businesses under the name Muller Auto Sales located in Boca Raton, Florida, and later under the name of Imports of Lighthouse Point Inc., located in Pompano Beach, Florida. As an automobile wholesaler, Stelzenmuller was licensed to buy and sell used automobiles at auctions and to do business directly with automobile dealerships. Stelzenmuller routinely did business under the alias Bruce Muller, using a false and fictitious Social Security number. Stelzenmuller applied for and obtained financing from lenders using the name Bruce Muller and the false and fictitious Social Security number.

From in or about 1992 and continuing through 1999, Bruce Stelzenmuller employed co-conspirator Irwin Millstein to perform bookkeeping services and prepare both individual and corporate tax returns. At Stelzenmuller’s direction, Millstein prepared false and fraudulent tax returns known as “specials.” Millstein provided “specials” to Stelzenmuller identifying Bruce Stelzenmuller by the alias, Bruce Muller, and by a false and fictitious Social Security number on the individual income tax returns, and under-reporting Stelzenmuller’s ownership interest in Imports of Lighthouse Point, Inc., on the corporate income tax returns. Stelzenmuller in turn submitted the “specials” to banks to obtain financing and to the FDIC, in order to settle a $2.4 million outstanding judgment for less than full value.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Lanigan and Attorney William J. Lovett, Department of Justice, Tax Division.