August 18, 2026

I Was an IRS Special Agent for 20+ Years — Here's How the IRS Actually Puts People in Prison for Taxes | Robert Nordlander

Robert Nordlander spent over 20 years as a special agent with IRS Criminal Investigation — investigating complex criminal tax and money laundering violations, working undercover operations, executing search and arrest warrants, and building the cases that sent tax evaders and money launderers to federal prison — and in this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he finally tells the complete truth about what that career really looked like from the inside. He shares what cases the IRS Criminal Division actually goes after and prosecutes, what it actually takes to put someone in prison for taxes, the different types of money laundering he investigated, why small business owners evade taxes more than anyone else, how cases came to him and what the investigation process actually looked like, some of the most significant cases of his career, and what the new world of influencers and social media income is producing in terms of tax crime that most people never see coming. _____________________________________________ #irs #taxes #truecrimestories #accountant #cops  _____________________________________________ Thank you to CASH APP for sponsoring this episode: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ksjh06pb  #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. _____________________________________________ Connect with Robert Nordlander: Website: https://www.nordlandercpa.com/ Buy his books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Nordlander/author/B0BMZT4CNK?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled;=true&ccs;_id=a4257f70-b089-4db0-8020-c9bd7e35d743 Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en  https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Meet the Ex-IRS Agent 00:21 Growing Up and Early Career 02:00 From Chips to IRS Agent 03:48 The CPA Advantage 05:40 IRS CI Origins and Its Role 06:34 Stationed in Alabama 07:19 Dad's Blessing and Career Shift 09:03 First Case: Identity Theft 10:50 The IRS 'Funny Box' Explained 12:05 Tax Protesters and False Refunds 13:37 Sentencing for Tax Protesters 14:59 Statute of Limitations for Tax Crimes 15:38 Hiding Income: The Small Business Owner 16:36 How Agents Find Cases 18:40 Data Mining for Evasion 20:47 The Value of IRS CI to Prosecutors 21:09 Drug Dealers and Tax Returns 22:12 Civil vs. Criminal: Making the Call 24:30 Choosing Cases Worth Prosecuting 25:40 Cash App Sponsorship 27:40 Dollar Amounts Drive Cases 29:34 Most Common Businesses for Fraud 30:42 Contractor Cash Schemes 31:32 Investigating Contractor Fraud 32:51 Why Celebrities Don't File 34:14 The Tax Gap and Who's Responsible 35:30 Are Business Owners Honest? 36:50 Influencer Tax Issues 38:12 The Fiji Hotel Example 39:22 Influencer Contracts and Tax 40:20 Ignorance and Willfulness 41:30 Influencer Cases and Richard Hatch 43:08 Tax Preparer Liability 44:42 Return Preparers: No License Needed 45:29 Preparer Mistakes vs. Crimes 46:53 Abuse of Earned Income Tax Credit 48:55 What Happens to the Clients? 50:00 When to Tell a Subject They're Investigated 51:42 Undercover Work and Surveillance 55:27 Common Lies from Suspects 57:37 Finding the Second Set of Books 58:26 Pissed-Off Partners as Informants 58:49 State vs. Federal Cases 01:00:35 The Length of Federal Investigations 01:01:36 Finding Bank Accounts 01:03:40 Using Flight Rosters as Leads 01:05:27 Structuring: The $10,000 Myth 01:07:19 A Surprising Case: Murder and Taxes 01:12:28 Expectations of Repayment 01:13:12 Most Egregious Money Hiding 01:15:40 PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App 01:17:52 Money Laundering Evolution 01:20:51 Cryptocurrency and the IRS 01:24:17 Unreported 1099 Income 01:26:46 Tips and Minor Tax Evasion 01:27:43 Is the System Fair? 01:29:00 The Tax Boycott Myth 01:31:00 Tax Protesters Are Filing 01:34:19 Jury Trials and Complex Cases 01:37:52 Testifying and Simplifying for Juries 01:42:10 Winning at Trial: The Odds 01:44:00 Robert's Role as a Consultant 01:45:58 Retiring from the IRS 01:47:53 Life on the Defense Side 01:52:56 IRS Layoffs and Efficiency 01:56:58 The Most Important Lesson 01:58:52 Truth Has Many Friends 02:00:18 Final Thoughts and Resources _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

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