Weldon Malveau, Theft of Government Property, Florida 2012

Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Property

Tampa, Florida – A local man has pleaded guilty to his role in a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme, which netted him over $342,563 in fake tax refunds. Weldon Malveau, 41, of Tampa, faces up to 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property.

According to the plea agreement, Malveau was involved in a scheme to file false and fraudulent income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) between January 2011 and March 2012. The scheme generated large refunds that were deposited onto debit cards, which Malveau then used to fund his lavish lifestyle.

When law enforcement officers arrested Malveau on March 15, 2012, they found 26 debit cards in the names of different individuals in his possession, along with ledgers containing names and social security numbers. An investigation revealed that the IRS had received fraudulent tax returns and issued refunds in the names of many of those individuals, totaling approximately $342,563.

An analysis of the debit cards in Malveau’s possession revealed that he had purchased a 2010 Porsche Panamera for $85,000 with the proceeds from his scheme. As part of the plea agreement, Malveau agreed to forfeit the Porsche.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.

Malveau’s sentencing date has not yet been set. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly to bring those who engage in this type of fraud to justice and to protect the public from these types of crimes.

The investigation and prosecution of this case serve as a reminder that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the integrity of the tax system and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it for personal gain.

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