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Tanya Fox Sentenced to 20 Years for Tax Fraud
Orlando, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, Tanya Fox has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the federal government, wire fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft.
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr., who also entered a money judgment in the amount of $4,055,735, which relates to the amount of fraudulent tax refunds that Fox and her co-conspirators had received.
This is not the first time Fox has been in hot water. On July 24, 2014, a federal jury found her guilty of one count of conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, ten counts of theft of government property, and ten counts of aggravated identity theft after a four-day trial.
The evidence presented during the trial showed that Fox had orchestrated a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns using identities that had been stolen from a variety of sources. She directed other individuals to open business bank accounts in the name of a fraudulent tax preparation business and to have the tax refunds deposited into those accounts.
According to testimony at the trial, Fox spent the money received from the fraudulent tax returns to purchase several luxury and other vehicles. The United States has seized each of these vehicles. She also used proceeds from these offenses to have cosmetic surgery on two occasions and to open a restaurant in the Orlando area.
Four of Fox’s co-defendants have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Shanterica Smith was sentenced to five years in prison, Gerald Williams was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, Delray Duncan was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, and April Cuyler was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Fox was immediately taken into custody after the sentence was handed down. The full extent of her crimes and the scope of the scheme she orchestrated will likely take years to fully understand.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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