USA WANTS MILLIONAIRE EXTRADITED FROM TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
A multi-millionaire who has been hiding out in Turks and Caicos Islands for the past two years, is wanted in the United States of America to stand trial on serious
The US State Department is seeking to have 67-year-old Roger Scott Hoffman extradited from here to America, where he faces 17 felony charges which carry prison terms ranging from five years to 20 years.
Hoffman, who is closely connected to several prominent persons in Turks and Caicos Islands, was arrested on a provisional warrant at his luxury condominium at The Venetian in Grace Bay on Wednesday during a special operation led by Superintendent Willet Harvey, head of the National Crime Intelligence Bureau in the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.
He was represented by attorney-at-law Ashwood Forbes when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin on Thursday, October 26th, 2023.
Hoffman indicated he will not be surrendering voluntarily to extradition to the United States, but will be challenging it. He was denied bail and remanded to Grand Turk prison until November 30th, 2023, to enable his lawyers and local law enforcement authorities to file the necessary papers for the hearing of the extradition proceedings.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Angela Brooks, appeared with Candace Rochester, Senior Crown Counsel, (International) of the Attorney General’s Chambers to represent the TCI authorities in the court matter.
The SUN understands that Hoffman currently has no legal status in Turks and Caicos Islands, but he is in the process of applying for a temporary residence permit through a law firm. Hoffman was originally a United States citizen, born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, but he renounced his US citizenship on July 9th, 2009 and is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis, from where he has a passport.
According to an extradition note dated September 7th, 2023, from the British Embassy in Washington, DC, which was obtained by The SUN, Hoffman’s extradition is being sought under the US-UK Extradition Treaty 1972.
“In the even of his return being ordered, the Embassy would appreciate being notified as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for his prompt return to the United States of America,” the document stated.
According to another document obtained by this newspaper, the charges against Hoffman include conspiracy to knowingly defraud the United States by impeding, impairing, obstructing and defeating the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service in the ascertainment, computation, assessment and collection of federal taxes; knowingly and willfully making contributions and donations in connection with federal and state elections, and knowingly and willfully making contributions in the name of another person.
Another document which was prepared by Sophia Sandy Smith, a special agent from the USA, revealed that Hoffman is the subject of a superceding indictment filed in January 2022 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
According to the document, from August 2008 to December 2020, Hoffman engaged in a scheme to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in unlawful foreign exchange and conduit contributions in the name of his personal assistant, who is a US citizen.
Before he renounced his citizenship, Hoffman was an active donor to political causes, having contributed nearly $340,000 under his own name from 2001 to 2009.
He began making conduit contributions using his assistant’s name in August 2008 and after he renounced his citizenship, he continued to make contributions to federal and state committees by funneling money into accounts held in his assistant’s name and then using her cheque books and debit cards to make contributions.
From August 2008 to December 202, Hoffman made 1,403 contributions using his own money to federal and Wisconsin candidates and committees in his assistant’s name, totaling $407,102.00.
As Hoffman well knew, by reporting these contributions as coming from his assistant, he caused the recipient committees and candidates to submit reports to the Federal Elections Commission that falsely stated that the contributions came from his assistant when it fact they came from him.
He was also engaged in another scheme with his assistant of falsely reporting funds to the IRS in order to avoid paying federal employment taxes.
Hoffman was approached by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in January 2021, in Madison, Wisconsin, when agents searched his condominium. After his interview, he met with his assistant and attempted to influence her to lie to the federal investigators.
