False Identity and Refund Check Cashing

COMPLETE IRS & TAX REPRESENTATION

identitytheftWe handled similar cases in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Joliet, IL. This is an example of a case of tax fraud, as well as criminal conspiracy under Title 26 and 18 of the United States Code.

A resident woman of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for her role in a stolen identity refund fraud plot.

Between June of 2012 and December of 2013, Tonya Alexander worked at SunTrust Bank as a bank teller in Columbus. For a fee, Alexander received and cashed unlawfully obtained income tax refund checks. Tracy Mitchell and Keisha Lanier, among Alexander’s other co-conspirators, filed illicit income tax returns using stolen identities and directed their other partners to bring the unlawfully obtained refund check to Alexander. Alexander also enlisted another co-conspirator, Vicky Wheeler, to assist in cashing the illicit checks.  Alexander and her collaborators cashed more than $600,000 from approximately 330 illicit refund checks.

Alexander was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of public money and pleaded guilty on Aug. 5. Alexander was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and is required to pay back the $600,000 she laundered in addition to the time in prison she is required to serve. Keisha Lanier was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Tracy Mitchell was sentenced to 13 years and 3 months.

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