3 men indicted in fraudulent tax collection scheme

Three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for wire fraud in connection with a bogus tax-collection scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady.

Michael Galanis, 31, of Export; Ronnell Taylor Jr., 37, of Jeannette; and Barry Nealer, 40, of Pittsburgh are the defendants in a one-count indictment that was unsealed Thursday, Brady said.

According to the indictment, the trio conspired to commit wire fraud between March 2016 and August 2017 by activating and programming cellphone numbers later used by individuals impersonating employees of the Internal Revenue Service to defraud U.S. residents.

“The IRS impersonators left voice mail messages instructing victims to contact the IRS using specific telephone numbers. When victims returned the calls, the IRS impersonators then extorted money from the victims to pay off alleged tax debts,” the indictment states.

One of the victims, who lives in California, lost $70,000, the indictment said.

None of the three could be reached for comment. However, court dockets indicate each pleaded not guilty and was released on unsecured bond.

The trio were indicted Jan. 16, but the indictments weren’t unsealed until Thursday.

The law provides for a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the sentence would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Galanis formerly lived in Monroeville when a portion of the scheme was carried out, according to court documents.