I have a degree in chemical engineering. As an undergraduate, I did research into the catalyzed production of methane (CH4) from graphite (Carbon, C) and Hydrogen (H2) using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst. That was real chemistry.
Alchemy is a bit different. An alchemist tries to turn lead into gold. With the exception of radioactive elements, chemical elements don’t change. If you have lead, it stays lead and doesn’t change into gold.
Joseph Furando of Montvale, New Jersey thought he had the perfect way of performing alchemy. He took biodiesel fuel that wasn’t eligible for two tax credits and magically turned it into biodiesel fuel that was eligible for the tax credits:
From 2007 through 2012, Indiana-based E biofuels owned a biodiesel manufacturing plant in Middletown, Indiana. Biodiesel is a fuel that can be used in diesel engines and that is made from renewable resources, including soybean oil and waste grease from restaurants. Under the Energy Independence and Security Act, properly manufactured biodiesel was eligible for a dollar per gallon tax credit as well as another valuable credit, called a Renewable Identification Number (RIN) that petroleum refiners and importers could use to demonstrate compliance with federal renewable fuel obligations. These incentives can be claimed once and only once for any given volume of biodiesel.
Furando admitted that sometime in late 2009, he and his companies, New Jersey-based defendants Caravan Trading Company and CIMA Green, began supplying E biofuels with biodiesel that was actually made by other companies and had already been used to claim tax credits and RINs. Because these incentives had already been claimed, Furando could purchase the biodiesel at much lower prices, sometimes for more than two dollars per gallon less than biodiesel that was still eligible for the credits. The conspiracy functioned as follows: Furando supplied the product to E biofuels and his co-conspirators would claim that E-biofuels made the fuel and then they would illegally re-certify the fuel and sell it at the much higher market price for incentivized biodiesel, known as B100 with RINs. Within the circle of those he trusted, Furando referred to this fraud scheme as “Alchemy.”
In two years, that was a profit—albeit an illegal profit—of $145.5 million. It appears that $56 million of this represented fraud, as that is how much restitution Mr. Furando must make. He was also sentenced to 20 years at ClubFed, and must forfeit his Ferrari and other cars, his “million-dollar home,” and other possessions.
I’ll point out (again) that tax credits attract fraudsters like moths to flames. One day, perhaps, Congress will decide that these programs should go in the dustbin of history. Well, there’s always hoping.