Marsha Elmore, owner of Community Tax, a tax preparation business in Wetumpka, Alabama, has admitted to using stolen identities to obtain tax refunds, officials announced.
Elmore pleaded guilty to one count each of filing a false claim, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. She was charged with these crimes as part of a 32-count indictment on August 31, 2011.
According to her plea agreement and court documents, Elmore’s fraudulent activity spanned from 2009 until July 2011, when she was arrested by the IRS. During this time, she unlawfully obtained the names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth of various individuals and used them to file false tax returns through Community Tax.
Those tax returns claimed refunds that were directed to bank accounts and debit cards that Elmore controlled. Elmore also filed false tax returns using online filing websites. In total, Community Tax and Elmore were linked to almost 1,400 tax returns during this time period.
Elmore admitted in her plea agreement that she personally filed many false returns through Community Tax. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled, but Elmore faces a minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison, as well as up to three years of supervised release, mandatory restitution, and a fine of up to $750,000 or twice the loss caused by her offenses.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the IRS – Criminal Investigation. Trial attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Todd Brown, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/tax.
Elmore’s crimes have left a trail of financial devastation for those whose identities she stole. The full extent of the damage will be revealed at her sentencing hearing.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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