Ashburn Man Nabbed in $120K Tax Fraud Scheme

ALBANY, GA – A brazen identity theft and tax fraud scheme unraveled in Ashburn, Georgia, leading to a guilty plea from 32-year-old Timothy D. Wilburn. Wilburn admitted to submitting over seventy fraudulent income tax returns, pilfering the identities of real people to line his own pockets. The scheme netted over $120,000 in illegally obtained refunds.

The Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, announced Wilburn’s guilty plea on December 15, 2014, before U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands in Albany. Wilburn pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The aggravated identity theft charge demands a minimum of two years imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The scam came to light not through a dedicated IRS investigation, but thanks to the sharp eyes of Albany Police Department officers. Responding to a burglary report at Wilburn’s residence, officers discovered evidence of the fraudulent tax returns during their investigation of the unrelated break-in. The evidence uncovered pointed to over $120,000 in illegally obtained refunds, confirming the scope of Wilburn’s operation.

“Mr. Wilburn essentially engaged in an identity fraud scheme to cheat the government, without regard to the pain and financial hardship it would and did bring to the persons whose identities he usurped,” stated U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore. “Only the alertness of the law enforcement officers who went to his residence in response to an unrelated burglary report brought this devious scheme to an end. My office will continue to vigorously prosecute cases such as this which victimize both the tax paying public and the innocent individuals who have their lives disrupted through the theft of their identities.”

The case was a joint effort, investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Ashburn Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jim Crane is leading the prosecution. Wilburn is expected to be sentenced in approximately 60 days, leaving a trail of stolen identities and taxpayer dollars in his wake.

Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing. Anyone with information regarding similar fraudulent activity is encouraged to contact the IRS or their local law enforcement agency. Public Information Officer Pamela Lightsey at the United States Attorney’s Office can be reached at (478) 621-2603 for further inquiries.