Norman V. Charlton, Tax Fraud, Florida 2012

Tampa, Florida – A Polk County man has been sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for his role in a complex tax fraud scheme. Norman V. Charlton, 50, of Lakeland, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered to forfeit $14,952 in U.S. currency that was seized from his residence on March 21, 2012, and to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $325,886, the traceable proceeds of the fraud scheme.

Charlton pleaded guilty to the charges on March 7, 2014, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara. The crime involved the use of stolen identities, including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, to electronically file fraudulent tax returns and obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled.

According to court documents, from August 2011 through June 4, 2012, Charlton and his co-conspirators used stolen identities to electronically file fraudulent tax returns and obtain tax refunds. A record of those filings was kept by Charlton in a detailed ledger, complete with names, email addresses, passwords, filing dates, times, and amounts. The fraudulent refunds were deposited onto reloadable debit cards in the names of others, and/or were disbursed in the form of U.S. Treasury checks and mailed to addresses controlled or directed by Charlton and others.

The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

Charlton was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for his role in the tax fraud scheme, which involved the use of stolen identities to obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled. The scheme resulted in a loss of $325,886, which Charlton was ordered to forfeit.

The case highlights the importance of identifying and prosecuting individuals who engage in complex tax fraud schemes. It also demonstrates the need for vigilance in protecting personal information and preventing the misuse of stolen identities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the IRS and other law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in tax fraud and other financial crimes.

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