RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Four Swiss bankers face federal charges they were part of a conspiracy to help Americans evade income taxes for decades, authorities said Wednesday.

Authorities allege the four helped their U.S. customers by opening and maintaining secret bank accounts. As of the fall of 2008, the international bank, which Justice officials did not name but said has headquarters in Zurich, maintained thousands of hidden accounts holding up to $3 billion in total assets.


The conspiracy allegedly dates back to 1953 and involved two generations of Americans, including some who inherited secret accounts.

A federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., handed up the indictments against Marco Parenti Adami, Emanuel Agustino, Michele Bergantino and Roger Schaerer, who work for the international bank, the U.S. Justice Department said in a release.

The indictment also alleges Agustino left the first bank and continued the tax fraud scheme at two other private Swiss banks.

If convicted, the four defendants each face a maximum of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.