Three residents of Montgomery, Alabama, have landed themselves in serious trouble after pleading guilty to a stolen identity refund scam. Cruz Castillo Burnett, Jacorey Giddens, and Rodrickus Howard, all from Montgomery, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino of the Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama.
According to court documents, the defendants conspired to acquire the means of identification of individuals, including names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth, of other persons without their knowledge or consent. From March 2011 to April 2013, the defendants used these stolen identities to file more than 500 false tax returns, and each return claimed fraudulent refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The defendants received the fraudulent refunds in various forms, including U.S. Treasury checks, direct deposits to bank accounts, and direct deposits onto prepaid debit cards in the names of identity theft victims. The scheme was uncovered after a lengthy investigation by special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
The three defendants each face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy count, followed by up to three years of supervised release. The defendants will each be required to serve a statutory mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft count.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Greg Bailey and Michael Boteler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown for the Middle District of Alabama. Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at the division website.
This is a stark reminder that identity theft is a serious crime with severe consequences. We urge citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
The indictment of these three individuals serves as a warning to those who would attempt to profit from the identities of others. We will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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