Craig Lee Workman, Tax Refund Fraud, Florida 2010

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Florida Man Sentenced to 5 Years for $179k Tax Refund Scam

A 42-year-old Florida man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for operating a massive tax refund fraud scheme in Florida and Vermont. Craig Lee Workman was sentenced by the Honorable J. Garvan Murtha in U.S. District Court in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Workman pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent income tax returns in the names of over 120 individuals, claiming nearly $1 million in tax refunds. He listed bank routing and account numbers for bank accounts he controlled in Florida and Vermont, and requested direct deposit of the claimed refunds. The IRS intercepted the bulk of the fake filings, but 23 got through, resulting in over $179,000 being deposited by the U.S. Treasury into Workman’s bank accounts.

Workman has a lengthy criminal history going back 20 years, mostly in Florida. Judge Murtha rejected his pleas for leniency today at his sentencing hearing in Brattleboro, and imposed a sentence of five years, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. Judge Murtha also ordered Workman to repay the money after his release.

Workman has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in Florida in May 2013. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division. Workman was represented by Federal Public Defender David McColgin. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Darrow.

According to court documents, Workman obtained identification information for over 120 persons and used it to file fraudulent income tax returns in their names. He claimed nearly $1 million in tax refunds, but the IRS intercepted the bulk of the fake filings. However, 23 of the returns were successful, resulting in over $179,000 being deposited into Workman’s bank accounts.

Workman’s sentencing hearing was held in U.S. District Court in Brattleboro, Vermont, where Judge Murtha imposed a sentence of five years in prison, followed by a supervised release term of three years. Workman was also ordered to repay the money he stole.

The case against Workman was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, and he was represented by Federal Public Defender David McColgin. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Darrow.