Alabama Family Sentenced in $1.9M Identity Fraud Scheme

Montgomery, Alabama – A ruthless family syndicate was sentenced this week in the Middle District of Alabama for orchestrating a $1.9 million identity refund fraud scheme, according to the Justice Department and IRS. Barbara Murry, Veronica Temple, Yolanda Moses, Douglas Murry, Almetta Johnson, Lee Moses, Jeffrey Temple, and Courtney Johnson were all hit with severe penalties.

The group, spanning from 2006 to 2012, orchestrated over 900 false tax refunds exceeding $1.9 million into bank accounts they controlled. Barbara Murry’s B & B Weaving Shop served as the operational base for this sinister enterprise. Her daughters, Yolanda Moses and Veronica Temple, ran the tax service arm, while Temple and Moses sourced stolen identities.

The fraudsters targeted minors as young as 16 and 17 to open bank accounts under false pretenses. Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally emphasized that such crimes will not be tolerated, underscoring the severity of their sentences.

Richard Weber, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation, called out the group’s disregard for the U.S. tax system and vowed continued pursuit of identity theft. The Tax Division’s efforts in this case were commended by Assistant Attorney General Keneally.

The investigation was led by special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, with Trial Attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler and Assistant United States Attorney Jared Morris handling the prosecution.

For more information on the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts, visit justice.gov/tax.

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