Talashia Hinton, Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud, Alabama 2014

A Phenix City, Alabama resident has been brought to justice for her role in a multimillion-dollar stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme. Talashia Hinton, also known as LayLay and LaLa, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in the Middle District of Alabama.

According to court documents, Hinton participated in a large-scale stolen identity tax refund conspiracy between 2011 and June 2014. The indictment alleges that the co-conspirators filed more than 3,000 false tax returns for 2012 and 2013 that falsely claimed more than $7.5 million in federal income tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Hinton worked with Keisha Lanier, who supplied her with IRS electronic filing identification numbers in the names of sham tax businesses and stolen identities that included personal information. The false returns directed the IRS to pay the refunds by issuing U.S. Treasury checks and direct deposits onto prepaid debit cards.

Tamika Floyd, who stole names from databases maintained by the state of Alabama, was a source of identities for Hinton. Floyd was previously sentenced to serve 87 months in prison on May 19. Lanier is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24, and other defendants involved in the scheme were sentenced on Aug. 7.

Hinton has not yet been sentenced. Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Gregory P. Bailey of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama, who are prosecuting the case.

The sentencing date for Hinton has not been scheduled. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat tax refund fraud and protect the financial well-being of American citizens.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

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