MONTGOMERY, AL – Two Montgomery men are facing a long stretch behind bars after being sentenced yesterday for a brazen tax refund scheme that bilked the Internal Revenue Service out of nearly a million dollars. U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced the sentences, marking a victory, however small, in the ongoing war against financial predators.
Edmund Lee McCall (39) received a crushing 108-month sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, coupled with an additional 24 months for aggravated identity theft. But the tally doesn’t stop there. Combined with a prior conviction for bank and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, McCall is now looking at a total of twenty years in federal prison. His co-defendant, Antonio Devon Harris (39), wasn’t faring much better, drawing an 87-month sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, plus another 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Both men will also be subject to three years of supervised release after they finally serve their time.
The scheme, operating between 2010 and 2012, was built on a foundation of stolen identities. McCall and Harris systematically harvested names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and other personal information from unsuspecting victims. They then used this data to fabricate W2 forms, complete with bogus employee and wage details, and filed fraudulent income tax returns online. It was a cold, calculated operation designed to exploit the system and line their pockets.
To further conceal their crimes, McCall and Harris established a fraudulent tax preparation business. This wasn’t about legitimately helping people file their taxes; it was a smokescreen. They used the business to order a massive quantity of prepaid credit cards, diverting the stolen tax refund proceeds directly onto the cards for their personal use. The final damage? A staggering $920,872.00 stolen from the IRS. The court ordered both men to make full restitution in that amount.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort, spearheaded by the United States Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Denise O. Simpson skillfully prosecuted the case, bringing these criminals to justice. It’s a reminder that while these schemes may seem complex, law enforcement is actively working to uncover and dismantle them.
This case serves as a stark warning: identity theft and tax fraud are serious federal crimes with severe consequences. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and report on the ongoing efforts to combat financial crime in Alabama and beyond. For press inquiries, contact Clark Morris at usaalm.press@usdoj.gov or (334) 551-1755.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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