Tax Refund Scheme Nets Millions: Two Down in Miami

MIAMI, FL – Two South Florida men are facing serious time after a federal jury convicted them today in a sprawling tax refund scheme that bilked the IRS out of millions. Herve Wilmore Jr., 29, of Aventura, and Delvin Jean Baptiste, a/k/a “Doo Doo,” 29, of Miramar, were found guilty on multiple counts related to a complex operation built on stolen identities and fraudulent filings. Sentencing is slated for June 12, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola.

Prosecutors laid out a case demonstrating how Wilmore and Baptiste systematically exploited the tax system. They recruited both willing accomplices and unwitting victims, leveraging their names and businesses – Worldwide Income Tax Multiservices (Wilmore) and Royal Tax Multiservices (Baptiste) – to funnel illicit refunds. The scheme relied heavily on the personal information of individuals, many of whom were deceased, used to fabricate false tax returns submitted to the IRS.

The pair allegedly diverted fraudulently obtained refunds, received as U.S. Treasury and Refund Anticipation Loan checks, to addresses and bank accounts under their control. They then negotiated these checks within their own networks, attempting to obscure the trail of stolen funds. Evidence presented at trial revealed the staggering scope of the fraud: approximately $35 million in fraudulent returns were filed, with the IRS ultimately paying out roughly $14 million.

Each defendant was convicted of one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), commit wire fraud, and commit aggravated identity theft, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. They also face two counts each of wire fraud, violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2, and two counts of aggravated identity theft, violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A(a)(1) and 2. The potential penalties are steep: up to five years for the conspiracy charge, 20 years for each wire fraud count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for each aggravated identity theft count.

Wilmore and Baptiste weren’t working alone. A string of co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to similar charges, including Marie Eleazard, a/k/a “Fanfan,” 32, of Miami; Henry Dorvil, a/k/a “D,” 35, of Hollywood; Brandon Johnson, 29, of Miami Gardens; Ronald Gustave, 36, of Miami; Ruth Cartwright, a/k/a “Princess,” 30, formerly of Plantation; Dukens Eleazard, a/k/a “DK,” 33, of Pembroke Pines; Luckner St Fleur, a/k/a “Nene,” 32, of Miami; Jesse Lamar Harrell, 26, of Miramar; and Corey Williams, 30, of Miami Gardens. Sentencing dates for these individuals are spread throughout April and May of 2014. Marc Leroy Saint Juste, 47, of Tamarac, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government.

Federal agents from the IRS-CI, FBI, and USSS all contributed to the investigation, highlighting the multi-agency effort to dismantle this sophisticated fraud operation. The case serves as a stark reminder that identity theft and tax fraud are serious federal crimes with significant consequences, and those who attempt to profit from such schemes will be aggressively pursued and prosecuted.

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