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Crime on the Rise: Texas Man Guilty in $74,341 Refund Scam
A 24-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to stealing public money in a brazen scheme to scam the IRS out of nearly $75,000 in refunds.
Denizel Roberts, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public money in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston. The indictment, returned on November 10, 2015, charged Roberts with participating in a scheme that used stolen personal identification information to file false federal income tax returns for tax year 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Roberts used a fraudulent passport to open several bank accounts into which the refunds were deposited. He then withdrew the illicit proceeds, retaining a portion of the money as a fee and providing the remainder of the funds to others.
The scheme involved obtaining means of identification of actual individuals, including their names and social security numbers, and using this information to access the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) “Get Transcript” database. Using the stolen identities and information obtained from the Get Transcript database, other members of the scheme prepared and filed false tax returns fraudulently requesting refunds.
As part of his plea agreement, Roberts agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $74,341.39. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes of the Southern District of Texas set sentencing for August 8, where Roberts faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI Houston Area Cyber Crime Task Force, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler and Grace Albinson of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Sledge of the Southern District of Texas.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting one’s personal identification information and the consequences of engaging in such schemes. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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