Former NASA Investigator Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

A former NASA investigator who failed to report almost $300,000 to the Internal Revenue Service from cash donations he stole from his church, has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return.

Alvin Allen, 42, of Lancaster, Allen was previously convicted in state court of grand theft by embezzlement and commercial burglary for stealing the church tithings, according to a release from Special Agent Linda Lowery, public information officer for the IRS Criminal Investigation unit in Los Angeles.

On Thursday, Allen, who'd been a special agent with NASA's Office of Inspector General, pleaded guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return, Lowery wrote in the release.

Appearing before United States District Judge George H. King, Allen's guilty plea involved his fraudulent 2004 tax return, but he also admitted filing bogus tax returns from 2005 through 2008. The IRS calculated its total loss at $88,882.

NASA Office of Inspector General spokeswoman Renee Juhans told the that Allen worked out of an Inspector General satellite office at for nearly 10 years.

In October 2009, according to Lowrey's release, a hidden surveillance camera installed at Lancaster Baptist Church caught Allen stealing donations and putting the cash into his clothes. Allen stole $299,975 from the church during the period 2004 through 2008, the release states.

According to the news release, Allen was a deacon and a member of the board at Lancaster Baptist Church. From 2004 through 2009, Allen served on a church committee that counted the tithes after the church services. While serving on the church committee, Allen stole from the church goers' cash contributions.

Allen will remain in jail until his sentencing Nov. 7. As a result of Thursday's guilty plea, Allen faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison. In addition to the possible prison term, Allen has agreed to pay on or before sentencing all additional taxes, penalties and interest assessed by the IRS.

The investigation and prosecution of Allen was conducted by IRS - Criminal Investigation and NASA Office of Inspector General - Office of Investigations, in conjunction with the United States Attorney s Office for the Central District of California.