Belinda Harris, Tax Fraud, Georgia 2018

Belinda Harris, 33, of Valdosta, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to tax fraud. Harris and her co-conspirators stole over $600,000 in refunds by filing false tax returns using stolen identities.

Harris and her co-defendants, including Cynthia Clarkston, Susie Hall Sherman, and Johnny Gary, admitted to working together between 2010 and 2012 to file numerous fraudulent tax returns.

During searches conducted by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office investigators and the United States Secret Service, stolen identity information was found in the homes of Harris, Clarkston, and Sherman.

The Internal Revenue Service investigation of the scheme determined that 222 fraudulent federal income tax returns for the years 2010 and 2011, were directly linked to the conspiracy, claiming refunds totaling $670,860.00.

Actual refunds of $258,914.00 were issued on those fraudulent returns. Harris faces a maximum sentence of seven years in Federal prison and restitution of the refund money received.

Harris's co-defendants each face up to five years imprisonment and restitution of the taxpayer money stolen.

Harris's guilty plea comes after a lengthy investigation into the scheme, which involved the collaboration of local and federal investigators.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/co-conspirators-plead-guilty-tax-fraud