Ledale Johnson, Stolen Identity Refund Fraud, Florida 2023

Tampa Journalist Uncovers Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Tampa, Florida was the scene of a brazen stolen identity refund fraud scheme that was brought to a close with the guilty plea of Ledale Johnson.

The 51-year-old Bradenton resident, Ledale Johnson, pleaded guilty to knowingly filing a false income tax return on behalf of another and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the tax return count, to be followed by a consecutive two-year term for the aggravated identity theft count.

According to the plea agreement, Ledale Johnson participated in a scheme involving the filing of false tax returns claiming tax refunds from the IRS totaling more than $250,000. Nearly $60,000 was downloaded to prepaid debit cards, in other people’s names, as a result of those filings.

Law enforcement officers discovered that Ledale Johnson was in possession of unauthorized and counterfeit debit cards that had been loaded with fraudulently obtained tax refunds filed using stolen identities. He also filed a fraudulent tax return in his name and the name of another individual.

During a search of Ledale Johnson’s residence in November 2011, officers seized personal identifying information belonging to others, multiple computers, and more than 100 user identification numbers associated with electronically filing tax returns.

This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Defendant: Ledale Johnson, Real full name, 51, Bradenton

Criminal charges: knowingly filing a false income tax return on behalf of another and aggravated identity theft

City and state: Tampa, Florida

Exact date: November 2011

Sentence or outcome: faces up to 7 years in federal prison

Dollar amounts: more than $250,000 (tax refunds), nearly $60,000 (downloaded to prepaid debit cards)

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/manatee-county-man-pleads-guilty-stolen-identity-refund-fraud