Alabama Woman Sentenced for Identity Theft Scheme

Montgomery, AL – In a shocking turn of events, Lea’Tice Phillips, an Alabama state agency employee, has pleaded guilty to her role in a $1.7 million identity theft scheme.

According to court documents, Phillips worked for the Alabama State agency and had access to state databases containing individual identification information. Between October 2009 and April 2012, she conspired with Antoinette Djonret and others to file false tax returns using stolen identities.

Phillips accessed a state database to obtain identification information, which she then sent to Djonret via her state email. Djonret and her co-conspirators used the stolen identities to file false tax returns, with most of them being filed from Djonret’s residence in Montgomery, Alabama.

The suspects also recruited individuals to purchase prepaid debit cards, which were then used to launder the tax refunds. In total, Djonret filed over 1,000 false tax returns, claiming over $1.7 million in fraudulent tax refunds.

Phillips faces between 2 and 22 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, restitution, and a maximum fine of $750,000, or twice the loss caused by the offense. Djonret was previously sentenced to 144 months in prison.

The case was investigated by Special Agents of the IRS – Criminal Investigation. Trial attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant United States Attorney Todd Brown are prosecuting the case.

The case highlights the severity of identity theft schemes and the importance of protecting individual identification information. As the investigation continues, it is clear that Phillips and her co-conspirators will face severe consequences for their actions.

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