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Ex-Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Identity Theft
A former corrections officer in Florida has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft charges, U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced. Harold B. Walbey III, 46, of Jacksonville, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, from at least in or about 2010 and continuing through about May 2012, Walbey, in his capacity as a correctional officer at the John E. Goode Pre-trial Detention Facility (PTDF), stole the personal identifying information of unknowing inmates that were housed at the facility.
Walbey maintained a notebook that contained 49 names, social security numbers, and dates of births of prisoners that were incarcerated at the PTDF. Once this information was stolen, fraudulent debit card accounts and W-2 forms were created in the inmates’ names. A fraudulent tax return was then electronically filed using various online tax software tools such as TurboTax.
From 2010 through 2012, Walbey filed tax returns in 38 different prisoners’ names, claiming more than $250,000 in fraudulent refunds. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Malisa Chokshi.
The indictment was handed down on December 11, 2013, and the sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Walbey’s actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the law and the trust placed in him as a corrections officer. His guilty plea is a significant step towards holding him accountable for his crimes.
The case highlights the importance of vigilance and cooperation among law enforcement agencies in preventing and investigating financial crimes. The public can help protect themselves from identity theft by being cautious with their personal information and reporting any suspicious activity to the authorities.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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