Related Federal Cases
- Amy Evangelista, Tax Return Fraud, Lathrop CA, 2023 · Alabama
- Amy Evangelista Sentenced to 18 Months for Tax Fraud Scheme, Lathro… · Alaska
- McKenzie Marie Earley, $10M Wire Fraud, C.D. California, 2023 · Pennsylvania
- Clarence Donya Hicks, Identity Fraud Tax Scam, Montgomery AL, 2023 · Alabama
- Louis Joseph Vadino, Tax Evasion and Passport Fraud, CA, 2023 · Washington
Benicia Woman Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud
Sherrell Davis, 43, of Benicia, California, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $210,320 in restitution for submitting false claims for tax refunds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from February 2011 through May 2013, Davis repeatedly engaged in tax fraud by submitting over 50 fraudulent claims for tax refunds in the names of other people to the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns used fraudulent W-2 tax forms listing false wages and false withholdings in order to generate tax refunds to which the people named on the returns were not entitled.
The fraudulent returns also claimed tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit, the American Opportunity Credit, and the Making Work Pay Credit. In furtherance of her tax fraud scheme, Davis took over bank accounts in the name of another person and used those accounts to receive proceeds from the fraud.
‘We want everyone who files a tax return to take advantage of the deductions and credits to which they are entitled by law, however, no one is entitled to defraud the United States and the American taxpayers,’ said Michael T. Batdorf, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation.
IRS CI will continue to aggressively pursue those who file false tax returns to claim refunds to which they are not entitled. ‘For approximately three years, Ms. Davis repeatedly filed numerous false income tax returns with the IRS claiming refunds based on false information,’ said Batdorf.
Attempted tax refund fraud has been a significant problem in recent years, leading to increased efforts by the IRS and IRS Criminal Investigation to combat it. For example, the IRS has estimated that from 2011 through October 2014, it stopped 19 million suspicious returns and blocked more than $63 billion in fraudulent refunds.
This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hales prosecuted the case. Davis was ordered to surrender to start serving her sentence on October 20, 2017.
In all, Davis submitted fraudulent tax returns seeking over $350,000 in tax refunds, of which at least $210,320 were paid out by the IRS.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
