Identity Theft Scheme Lands Debt Collector and Son-in-Law Behind Bars

Montgomery, AL

A debt collector and his son-in-law have been sentenced to prison for their roles in an identity theft and tax fraud scheme.

Quentin Collick, 53, of Montgomery, was sentenced to 85 months in prison, while his son-in-law, Deatrice Williams, 47, of Duluth, Georgia, received 51 months. The pair was found guilty of conspiring to file false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The scheme involved Williams using her position at a debt collection company in Norcross, Georgia, to steal the identities of individuals who owed medical debts. The information was then provided to Collick, who used it to file false tax returns and claim tax refunds.

Corey Thompson, a co-conspirator, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in jail. Thompson, who worked as an independent contractor for a cable company, used his specialized knowledge and equipment to shut down and hijack his customers’ internet service.

Thompson and Collick then used the customers’ internet access to file false tax returns, making it appear as if the returns were being filed by the customers themselves. The tax refunds were directed to be placed on pre-paid debit cards, which were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service.

Several tax refund checks were also mailed by the IRS, based on the fraudulent returns, which Collick retrieved and cashed. The case was investigated by special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler, Jason H. Poole and Alexander Effendi, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd A. Brown.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama praised the efforts of law enforcement in bringing the case to a successful conclusion.

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