09-02-2025
Seven bogus tax returns: $2.3 million claim
By Shannon Fiecke, Staff Writer
Turns out the Jordan man who attempted to cash an unusually large tax refund at a Shakopee pawn shop last fall also filed six false returns for himself under the names of other individuals.
Robert Tiwari pleaded guilty in federal Tuesday to filing bogus tax returns that requested nearly $2.3 million from the federal government, including $906,419 under his own name.
Tiwari, 42, was living at a motel under an assumed name when he was arrested by federal agents last November at Money Exchange in a strip mall near Canterbury Park. He had a rental car and suitcase packed with clothing.
The pawn shop owner contacted authorities after she became suspicious of the string of cashier's checks Tiwari wanted to cash after depositing a $685,438 tax refund check at Wells Fargo.
The tax refund was legit, but the 2009 return was not.
It's still unclear how Tiwari was able to obtain the check in the first place.
His June filing appeared to have raised red flags since federal agents executed a search warrant on Sept. 25 at Tiwari's home in Helena Township. But the IRS still cut Tiwari a check on Nov. 5
Tiwari claimed to have earned $1.89 million from his heating and air-condition business, although he claimed no income in a federal bankruptcy filing and paid no taxes to the IRS in 2008 or 2009.
Investigators uncovered six additional bogus tax returns Tiwari filed in 2008 and 2009 under the names of others, including his wife. He requested a total of $1.3 million from these.
Although Tiwari attempted defraud the federal government out of $2.25 million, court documents show the actual loss to the U.S. Treasury is $1.14 million.
The federal government should be able to recover at least $685,000 of this.
As part of his plea agreement, Tiwari must turn over a Hummer purchased with false proceeds, as well as relinquish 35 cashier's checks worth $675,000 and $12,000 cash.
Tiwari faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
His release conditions include that he post $25,000 bond, not gamble and stay in Minnesota. He must be under GPS monitoring and live at the home he shares in Jordan with his wife and three children.
If Tiwari is evicted from his house, which is under foreclosure, he is supposed to stay at a residence in St. Louis Park.
Judge Richard Nelson will determine Tiwari's sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.
Shannon Fiecke can be reached at (952) 345-6679 or sfiecke@
