Leniency for Offshore Account Holders?

This is the opposite of when the government tries to scare the daylights out of you. Seems like the light touch is succeeding in drawing the offshore accounts out of the woodwork. I imagine the objective is to identify the people and the money, collect fines and penalties, so why be too heavy-handed and scare people away?

"The cases involving offshore bank accounts are drawing lighter sentences than other criminal tax cases," said Mr. Townsend, who practices at Townsend & Jones LLP in Houston. He calls the discrepancy "troubling, because cheating is cheating."

Yes, but not every cheat has this sort of money. When they want your money, they'll do whatever it takes to get it.

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