A Miami-Dade County resident has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for his role in a massive identity theft and tax refund scheme that netted him $322,000.
Eldridge Nichols, 41, of Miami, was ordered to pay restitution of $322,617.31 and serve three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of theft of government money.
According to court documents, Nichols caused fraudulent tax refund checks to be deposited into a bank account in the name of Eldridge Nichols LLC in Miami, Florida, between February 2011 and January 2012. A total of 43 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks, worth approximately $322,000, were cashed through this account.
Nichols used the proceeds from the fraudulent tax refund checks for personal purposes, including travel, clothing, and entertainment.
Law enforcement contacted a sample of individuals who had tax refund checks in their name cashed in this account, and all reported that they did not know Nichols, did not authorize him to have possession of the checks, and did not receive any of the proceeds.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS). U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer commended the agencies for their work in bringing Nichols to justice. ‘This case is a prime example of the importance of law enforcement working together to protect the public and prevent financial crimes,’ Ferrer said.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger. A copy of the press release can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related Federal Cases
- North Miami Man Pleads Guilty in $2.4M Tax Refund Scam · Florida
- Booker Admits Role in $2.1M Tax Refund Scam · Florida
- Miami Man Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Fraud Scam · Florida
- Copeland & Rudd Accused of $300K Tax Refund Scam · Florida
- 25 Suspects Busted in Massive Identity Theft Tax Scam · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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