Bomb Threat at Sarasota IRS Office

According to reports, a man was arrested yesterday and charged with making a bomb threat at an IRS office. Thankfully no one was hurt.

FOX reports:

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, the man walked into the IRS office at 5971 Cattleridge Blvd. and said he had a bomb.

Deputies arrived, took the man into custody, and the bomb squad came to evaluate a suspicious package.

Nothing destructive was found.

The man's identity has not been released, but the sheriff's office says it will release more information as it becomes available.

Read more here

Jury Indicts IRS Officer in Mortgage Refinance Scheme

According to Web CPA a federal grand jury indicted Mark Claybrooks on charges of fraud last week. Claybrooks is an IRS revenue officer who has been accused of his position to pressure taxpayers who were in debt with the IRS to refinance their mortgages with a company he was associated with.

Mark Claybrooks, 41, was charged with three counts of “acts affecting a personal financial interest” and two counts of fraud for using IRS computers without authorization. He allegedly contacted overdue taxpayers and tried to steer them toward Faith Mortgage Group in Antioch, Calif., where he worked from 2003 to 2005. He received over $20,000 from the mortgage company in exchange for his referrals.

The Contra Costa Times also ran a story about the development and notes that Claybrooks could not be reached for comment but that he is scheduled to make an initial appearance 10 a.m. this Thursday in U.S. District Court. They also found that the phone number for Faith Mortgage in Antioch had been disconnected.