IRS officer indicted in alleged refi scam

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

A revenue officer for the Internal Revenue Service has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he urged people who owed taxes to refinance with a mortgage company for which he worked.

Mark Claybrooks, 41, of Brentwood worked as an IRS revenue officer in Walnut Creek, contacting people who were delinquent with their taxes. From 2003 to 2005, he also worked for Faith Mortgage Group in Antioch, refinancing personal-residence loans.

From 2002 to 2008, Claybrooks recommended to at least two people that they "pay off delinquent federal income tax obligations by refinancing with Faith Mortgage Group," according to an indictment handed up Wednesday by a grand jury in Oakland.

Great moments in government!