Lee Ervin Dale, Tax Refund Fraud, Florida 2013

A brazen tax refund fraud scheme has been brought to justice in Broward County, Florida. Lee Ervin Dale, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, was convicted of using stolen identities to convert government monies to his own use and making false claims to the IRS.

Between 2006 and 2009, Dale filed 291 handwritten tax returns claiming over $2 million in refunds, all listing his P.O. Box address. The IRS was able to prevent most of these claims from being issued, but approximately $195,000 in refund checks were mailed to Dale’s P.O. Box.

Several of these checks were deposited directly into bank accounts bearing both Dale’s name and the identity theft victim’s name. Other checks were cashed at a check cashing store in Oakland Park, Florida, in exchange for cash and money orders that Dale then deposited into his own accounts.

Dale was found guilty of two counts of converting government funds to his own use (income tax refund checks), six counts of making and presenting false claims to the IRS (presenting income tax returns for refunds), and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

At sentencing, Dale faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count of theft of government funds, up to 5 years in prison on each count of making and presenting a false claim to the government, and two years consecutive to the other sentences on the aggravated identity theft charges.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 17, 2013, at 9:00 A.M. before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurie E. Rucoba and Jared Strauss.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the conviction.

The case highlights the importance of vigilance in preventing identity theft and tax refund fraud. The public is urged to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

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