Benicia native Sherrell Davis, 43, has been exposed for a brazen $350,000 tax refund scam that spanned over two years. The U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the plea deal today.
From February 2011 to May 2013, Davis engaged in a systematic scheme where she stole identities and filed fraudulent tax returns with the IRS. The fraudulent claims were supported by falsified W-2 forms that falsely depicted wages and withholdings of non-existent jobs, leading to unjustified refunds for herself.
According to court documents, Davis attempted to defraud the IRS out of a total of $350,000, with at least $210,320 being successfully paid out. The schemes included claims for tax credits such as the Earned Income Credit and the Making Work Pay Credit, which she knew were not entitled to the individuals whose identities she used.
Investigation into Davis’s activities was spearheaded by IRS Criminal Investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Christopher S. Hales handling the prosecution of this high-stakes case.
Davis is scheduled to face sentencing on June 16, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, although the final sentence will depend on various factors considered by the court.
“This kind of tax fraud not only victimizes the IRS but also law-abiding taxpayers who are left to cover the gaps created by such criminal activity,” said Talbert. “We will continue to pursue those who steal from our nation’s coffers.”
Related Federal Cases
- Tax Fixer Gets 18 Months for $1.2M Fraud Scheme · Alaska
- Bellevue Tycoon Hazelrigg Indicted for Tax Fraud and SSN Misuse · Washington
- Clarence Hicks Indicted in Identity Fraud Tax Scam · Alabama
- Stockton Woman Faces 21 Fraud Counts in Unemployment and Tax Scams · California
- Louis Joseph Vadino Convicted in $2.1M Tax Evasion, Passport Fraud · California
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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