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Stolen Lives, Stolen Refunds: Maryland Man Sentenced in $42 Million Tax Scam

WASHINGTON D.C. – Brian Bryant, 30, of Mount Rainier, Maryland, will spend the next 100 months in federal prison for his role in a sprawling scheme that bled the U.S. Treasury of at least $42 million. The sentence, handed down today, marks a significant victory for investigators piecing together a network of over 130 individuals involved in fraudulently claiming income tax refunds using stolen identities.

Bryant was convicted by a jury on February 17, 2017, on charges of conspiring to commit theft of government funds and defraud the United States, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft. The operation, active between 2005 and 2012, preyed on vulnerable victims – the elderly, assisted living residents, drug addicts, and even incarcerated prisoners – whose personal information was used to file false tax returns. The scheme wasn’t limited to stolen identities; willing participants also allowed their own information to be used in exchange for a cut of the ill-gotten gains.

Court documents reveal a sophisticated operation spanning across Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, with over 400 addresses listed on the fraudulent returns. Investigators traced at least 12,000 bogus tax filings. Bryant, along with his father, Tony Bryant, 56, formerly of Clinton, MD, and Tarkara Cooper, 37, of Washington, D.C., collectively claimed $4,959,310 in fraudulent refunds between April 2010 and June 2012, with the IRS ultimately paying out approximately $2,285,717. Cooper received a 63-month sentence in July 2017. Tony Bryant’s sentencing is scheduled for March 15, 2018.

The roles within the conspiracy were diverse. Some stole identifying information, others provided addresses for delivery of refund checks, while still others cashed the checks or provided bank accounts for deposits. A key tactic involved inflating income from fictitious sole proprietorships and claiming fraudulent dependents to maximize Earned Income Tax Credit refunds. To date, roughly two dozen participants have pleaded guilty, but investigators believe the network extended far beyond those already brought to justice. Bryant specifically assisted in negotiating $650,003 in fraudulently obtained tax refund checks.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer didn’t just hand down the 100-month sentence. She also ordered Bryant to serve three years of supervised release and pay $650,003 in restitution to the IRS. A forfeiture money judgment of $176,624 was also levied against him. The investigation was a joint effort led by the Justice Department’s Tax Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General.

“This sentence sends a clear message,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman. “Those who attempt to defraud the United States and steal the identities of innocent Americans will be held accountable.” The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of identity theft and the lengths to which criminals will go to exploit the tax system.

Key Facts

• State: Washington DC
• Agency: DOJ USAO
• Category: White Collar Crime
• Source: Official Source ↗

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