MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A brazen scheme to deceive the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has landed a Florida man in hot water.
Keith Joseph, 37, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a West Virginia court. The crimes occurred from March 2015 to March 2017.
Joseph’s scheme involved accessing the IRS’s eAuthentication online taxpayer system, which has servers located in Berkeley County. He obtained the personal identifying information of taxpayers without their knowledge, then used this information to gain access to the IRS system.
Once inside, Joseph unlawfully obtained income tax transcripts and fraudulently filed tax returns using the taxpayers’ personal identifying information. This egregious breach of trust has left many searching for answers.
The extent of Joseph’s scheme is staggering, with the defendant agreeing to pay $142,237 in restitution as part of his plea agreement.
The seriousness of Joseph’s crimes will not be taken lightly in the courtroom. He faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the wire fraud count. Additionally, he faces two years of incarceration for the aggravated identity theft count.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the case.
Joseph’s fate will be determined by the court, based on the seriousness of the offenses and his prior criminal history. Until then, the public remains on high alert, vigilant in the face of such brazen crimes.
Related Federal Cases
- Sandra Mae Evans, Mail Fraud, West Virginia 2018 · Virginia
- Menchaca Krista Marie, PPP Loan Fraud, West Virginia 2023 · New York
- Bradley Temple, Unlawful Money Transactions, West Virginia, 2023 · Alabama
- Guyland W. Thompson, Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion, FL 2024 · New York
- Christopher Park, Cocaine Trafficking, West Virginia 2024 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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