Miami Son Jailed for Stolen Identity Tax Scam

A Miami man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in a stolen identity tax fraud scheme. David Earl Tucker, 30, of Miami, was sentenced to 2 years behind bars, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for his involvement in the scam.

Tucker’s mother, Tara Marshea Tucker, 47, of Miami, a postal employee, stole mail while on the job, including 4 to 5 tax refund Treasury checks. She gave the stolen checks to her son, who used them to cash in on the refunds.

The scheme, which had an intended loss amount of $12,139.16, was uncovered during a traffic stop of a vehicle Tucker was driving. A fake Texas driver’s license in another person’s name was found, as well as a tax refund Treasury check in another individual’s name.

Further investigation revealed that Tucker’s mother, Tara, had been stealing mail and giving the stolen checks to her son. The mother was previously sentenced to 4 months in prison and 4 months of home confinement, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for her role in the conspiracy.

Tucker plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Rothstein, Ilham A. Hosseini and Anne P. McNamara. The investigating agencies, including IRS-CI, USPS-OIG, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, and TIGTA, were commended for their efforts in bringing the scheme to light.

Related court documents can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.