In a shocking case of prison corruption, Jesse Scott Wilson, 41, a resident of Alaska, has been sentenced to 92 months in prison for his role in a massive tax refund scam. Wilson, along with his co-conspirators, including William Wesley Hines, aka Speedy, 54, Jason Donald Schmidlkofer, 34, and Nick Lewis Thurmond, 30, were indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2015 for conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to false claims.
According to court documents, Wilson and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted approximately 428 false tax returns claiming refunds of approximately $681,258 between September 2008 and June 2012. The conspirators obtained the names and social security numbers of individuals, many of whom were also inmates at correctional facilities, and used them to file false individual income tax returns. The returns claimed false wages and withholding amounts, and the conspirators even went so far as to forge the individuals’ signatures.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason sentenced Wilson to 92 months in prison, followed by three years’ supervised release. Wilson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $384,892. Judge Gleason emphasized the need for the sentence to address the severity of the crime and deter others in prison from committing similar crimes.
The investigation revealed that Wilson conspired with his co-defendants and fellow prison inmates to obtain the names and social security numbers of individuals, many of whom were also inmates at correctional facilities. Wilson and his co-conspirators prepared and filed false individual income tax returns using the names and SSNs of approximately 210 individuals.
Wilson’s co-defendants, Hines and Schmidlkofer, have also been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Hines was sentenced to 51 months in prison on August 2, 2016, while Schmidlkofer was sentenced to 56 months in prison on July 8, 2016. Thurmond, who is a resident of Colorado, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2016.
This case is part of a larger investigation into prisoner tax refund schemes. Other defendants, including Steven McComb, Michael Sexton, Paulando Williams, and Helen Maloney, have also been sentenced for their roles in similar schemes. McComb was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Sexton was sentenced to 80 months in prison. Williams was sentenced to 66 months in prison.
Wilson’s prison sentence serves as a warning to those who would attempt to exploit the system for personal gain. The case highlights the importance of vigilance in preventing corruption and ensuring that those who commit crimes are held accountable.
Related Federal Cases
- John Michael Askins, Filing False Income Tax Return, Colorado 2024 · Alaska
- Internal Revenue Services, Tax Refund Heist Scheme, Washington 2023 · Colorado
- Julien Jitt Noel, Tax Fraud, California 2023 · Colorado
- Muzaffar Hussain, Tax Evasion, California 2017 · Alaska
- Mac Martin Anderson, Tax Evasion, California 2018 · Colorado
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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