Former Everett resident pleads guilty to fraudulent tax scheme

  Christian Zynga, 46, formerly of Everett, pleaded guilty on October 21 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. According to federal law enforcement officials, allegedly Zynga was assisted by Boris Shadari, who masqueraded as a tax professional, in targeting Congolese residents throughout Greater Boston.

  Prior to 2017, Zynga, who was a bank manager at the time, “took customers’ tax information to a legitimate tax professional and provided the tax professional with false information concerning customers’ dependents, dependent and childcare expenses and business income and losses in order to inflate the customers’ federal income tax refunds.” The refunds were then reportedly split between the customers’ bank accounts and accounts owned by Zynga, Shadari and other co-conspirators. From 2017 to 2018, Zynga and Shadari allegedly stopped using the tax professional and began preparing customers’ tax returns themselves, and they continued to exaggerate the refund amounts and deposit portions of the money into their own accounts.

  According to law enforcement, the scheme resulted in more than $500,000 in lost tax refunds.

  Zynga and Shadari were indicted in October 2020 and are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Shadari has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

  Zynga and Shadari could face up to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of at least $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for February 17, 2022.