Marie Poitevien, Stolen Identity Refund Fraud, New Jersey 2013

TRENTON, N.J. – A brazen identity thief has landed behind bars for her role in a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme that bilked the U.S. Treasury out of over $1 million.

Marie Poitevien, 54, of Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for conspiring to steal government funds, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. Poitevien, who previously pleaded guilty to the charge, will also serve two years of supervised release after her prison term.

The scheme, which ran from October 2009 through June 2013, involved Poitevien and her conspirators using stolen identities to file false tax returns and claim refunds. The refunds were then mailed to Poitevien's residence, where she deposited them into her personal bank account and withdrew the cash.

According to court documents, Poitevien cashed 298 tax refund checks, totaling $1,101,689, made payable to 139 different victims. The scheme was a classic example of Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF), a type of fraud that involves the use of stolen identities to commit tax refund fraud.

SIRF schemes typically involve the following hallmarks: obtaining personal identifying information from unwitting individuals, completing false tax returns using the stolen information, directing the U.S. Treasury to mail refund checks to controlled locations, and depositing the checks into bank accounts that the perpetrators control.

Special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, conducted the investigation that led to Poitevien's sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Feder represented the government in the case, while Linda Foster Esq. served as Poitevien's defense counsel.

The sentence is a reminder that identity thieves will be caught and brought to justice. Poitevien's prison term is a testament to the hard work of law enforcement and the determination of prosecutors to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/essex-county-new-jersey-woman-sentenced-21-months-prison-role-stolen-identity-refund