A Texas man has been sentenced to 65 months in prison for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy that netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refunds.
According to court documents, Ryan Shern, 34, of Kyle, participated in a conspiracy to use stolen identity theft information to seek fraudulent tax refunds from the IRS in the names of unsuspecting taxpayers.
From 2016 through 2019, Shern allowed co-conspirators to direct tax refunds to his and his wife’s personal bank accounts and to prepaid debit cards he purchased and controlled.
Shern used a portion of the tax refunds to purchase money orders and luxury goods for himself.
On at least one occasion, Shern used a copy of a false tax return filed using stolen identifying information to persuade the bank that it should release to his account a fraudulent refund totaling more than $250,000.
Shern also wired, or directed his wife to wire, funds to co-conspirator bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered Shern to serve 65 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and to pay $726,165 in restitution to the United States.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Mitchell T. Galloway, Robert A. Kemins, and Mary Frances Richardson of the Tax Division.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas announced the sentencing.
Shern’s scheme netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refunds, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle.
The sentence brings an end to a lengthy investigation that revealed the scope of Shern’s wire fraud conspiracy.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting personal information and being vigilant against identity theft.
Related Federal Cases
- Shannon Tecoko Mays, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Texas, 2012 · Oklahoma
- Eduardo Ravelo, Racketeering Conspiracy, Texas 2013 · Oklahoma
- Jason Jarin, Medicaid Fraud and Illicit Transition Procedures, Texas 2023 · Oklahoma
- Mark C. Simpson, Child Support Fraud and Drug Conspiracy, Atlanta G… · North Carolina
- Albert Davis, Wire Fraud, Kansas City, MO, 2023 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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