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Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scam Uncovered in Houston
A brazen scheme to steal identities and claim tax refunds has been uncovered in Houston, netting a city man a slew of charges.
According to federal authorities, Denzel Roberts, a 30-year-old Houston man, was arrested Friday after a federal grand jury indicted him on three counts of wire fraud, four counts of theft of public money and seven counts of aggravated identity theft.
The indictment, announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas, alleges that Roberts was part of a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) scheme that used stolen personal identification information to file false federal income tax returns for tax year 2014.
Roberts and his accomplices allegedly used this stolen information to access the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) "Get Transcript" web application to obtain tax information of their identity theft victims and filed fraudulent tax returns in those names. Roberts also opened several bank accounts using a fraudulent passport, directed that the fraudulent tax refunds be deposited into those accounts and withdrew the illicit proceeds.
Roberts faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, 10 years in prison for each count of theft of public money and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. He also faces substantial monetary penalties and restitution.
While Roberts is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the charges carry significant weight, and it remains to be seen how this case will unfold in the courts. We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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