A Pierce County woman has been sentenced to three years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme that netted her more than $95,000.
Barbara Holly Stahlman, 42, was indicted in February 2013, for filing 108 false electronic tax returns between 2010 and 2013. The returns, which were actually accepted and processed by the IRS, claimed false refunds totaling more than $500,000. In the returns actually accepted and processed by the IRS, Stahlman claimed false refunds totaling $223,383.
The IRS paid $87,000 in refunds to Stahlman before it detected her criminal pattern, after which the IRS cut off all refunds on the remaining false returns. Stahlman directed that the refunds be paid into prepaid debit cards, which she directed be sent to her address and to the addresses of family members.
Stahlman has been in custody since August 2013. The Honorable Ronald B. Leighton sentenced her to three years in prison for her role in the scheme.
The United States Attorney noted not only the damage Stahlman did to the integrity of the IRS, but also underscored “the damage she inflicted on those whose identities she commandeered. Stahlman committed multiple acts of identity fraud, which has caused innocent victims to become entangled with the IRS, over returns they did not file, and refunds they never received. It will take years for them to cleanse their names of the stain of Stahlman’s fraud.”
The Justice Department has prioritized the investigation and prosecution of individuals who engage in stolen identity refund fraud. In the last year alone, the Department charged more than 880 defendants involved in stolen identity refund fraud, and the IRS reports that it resolved or closed approximately 963,000 cases involving identity theft victims.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.
Defendant: Barbara Holly Stahlman
Criminal Charges: wire fraud and aggravated identity theft
City and State: Pierce County, Washington
Date: February 2013 (indicted), August 2013 (in custody), [no specific date for sentencing]
Sentence: three years in prison
Dollar Amounts: over $95,000, over $500,000, $223,383, $87,000
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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