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Teona Rodgers, Tax Fraud, Tallahassee FL, 2017
TALLAHASSEE, FL – A promising athletic career derailed by greed. Teona N. Rodgers, 28, of Tampa, received a 75-month federal prison sentence today after being convicted of a complex scheme to defraud the U.S. government through stolen identity tax refund fraud. Rodgers was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $151,577 in restitution, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The case began to unravel in November 2013, when investigators discovered two notebooks and twelve debit cards – all belonging to individuals other than Rodgers – in a Tallahassee apartment she had recently vacated. Rodgers, then a track and field scholarship athlete at Florida State University, allegedly used the personal information of over 150 victims to file fraudulent tax returns in 2011 and 2012.
Those notebooks weren’t just lists; they were a roadmap to fraud. Handwritten within were names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, bank account details, and projected tax refund amounts for each victim. Investigators found notations indicating which returns had been “rejected” and which had been “filed,” alongside detailed instructions to report a consistent $47,196 in fictitious interest income across multiple returns – including her own 2011 and 2012 filings. Evidence showed the fraudulent returns were submitted using IP addresses linked directly to Rodgers, and the ill-gotten refunds were funneled onto the discovered debit cards.
The scheme ultimately encompassed 64 fraudulent tax returns, seeking a total of $465,948 in refunds. Rodgers allegedly used those debit cards to finance her own purchases, turning the stolen financial lives of others into personal spending money. The investigation, led by the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force – a coalition of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Tallahassee Police Department – pieced together the evidence and brought Rodgers to justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Milligan successfully prosecuted the case, highlighting the collaborative effort needed to combat sophisticated financial crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, one of 94 nationwide, remains committed to pursuing those who exploit the financial system for personal gain. This case serves as a stark warning: even those seemingly above the law – like college athletes – will face consequences for defrauding the government and victimizing innocent citizens.
Court documents related to the case are publicly accessible through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. Further information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html. The investigation underscores the Secret Service’s continued role in investigating financial crimes beyond its traditional protective duties.
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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