Copeland & Rudd Nabbed in $100K+ Tax Refund Scam

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict to Marlan L. Copeland, of Miramar, and Brannoc K. Rudd, of Miami Gardens, after a ten-day trial revealed their roles in a calculated tax refund fraud scheme. The pair systematically cashed over $100,000.00 in fraudulent tax refund checks, leaving a trail of forged signatures and stolen money in their wake.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, spearheaded by Wifredo A. Ferrer, alongside Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI, and Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge of the USSS Miami Field Office, announced the convictions today. The investigation peeled back layers of deception, exposing a scheme that preyed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Evidence presented at trial painted a clear picture: between January and April 2010, Copeland and Rudd repeatedly visited a Wachovia bank branch in Miami Gardens, Florida. They weren’t there to make deposits. They were there to cash checks – dozens of them – each representing a fraudulently obtained tax refund. The duo walked out with over $100,000 in cash, believing they’d gotten away with it. They hadn’t.

The scheme began to unravel when the actual taxpayers came forward, identifying the signatures on the cashed checks as blatant forgeries. The brazen nature of the fraud, and the sheer volume of checks processed, quickly drew the attention of both the IRS Criminal Investigation division and the Secret Service. Witnesses testified, and the evidence mounted, sealing the fate of both defendants.

Now, Copeland and Rudd await sentencing before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard on April 20, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. Copeland faces a potential 12-year prison sentence, while Rudd could receive up to five years. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Gonsoulin and John Byrne are prosecuting the case, ensuring those responsible for this financial exploitation are held accountable.

“This conviction sends a clear message,” stated a source close to the investigation. “Those who attempt to defraud the system, and steal from hardworking taxpayers, will face the full force of the law.” Further details and court documents can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls and http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov, or through PACER at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.