Law Enforcement
In this section of our website Committee For Efficient Government (CFEG) provides you with resource links if you have become a victim of identity theft. In this section CFEG also provides you with articles which describe specific events of identity theft based tax refund fraud. These articles are helpful to keep our visitors informed of the latest news in the war on identity theft- based tax refund fraud.
In this section you also be provided with statistics pertaining to investigations and prosecutions which law enforcement has been engaged in to combat the epidemic of identity theft-based tax refund fraud.
On February 4, 2013 U.S. Representative Kathy Castor announced in a press release a report on the progress made in the war against identity theft and tax-related crimes. She also announced the filing of new legislation to continue the momentum. Together with Rep. Rich Nugent, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and local law enforcement, Representative Castor has pressed successfully for strong action from the IRS according to the press release.
Representative Castor reported that it was clear that what was needed in the fight against identity theft and tax related crimes was to, "raise awareness at the IRS and work to increase communication and cooperation, enhance prevention measures, and step up enforcement and prosecutions."
Representatives Castor and Nugent filed a bill in the last congress to require greater cooperation and information-sharing between the IRS and local law enforcement, to expedite resolution for victimized taxpayers, to increase penalties for identity theft in connection to tax crimes, institute a pilot program for a unique PIN system, protect the Social Security Death Master File, and reallocate resources within the IRS to tackle tax refund fraud.
In addition, the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 passed Jan. 1 contained a provision that targeted fraudulent refund claims by prisoners, a problem that had skyrocketed over recent years.
Cutler Bay Man Sentenced in $12 Million Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Involving the Cashing of Thousands of Fraudulently Obtained U.S. Treasury Checks
U.S. Attorney’s Office June 05, 2013 Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Paula A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS); Ronald Verrochio, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal…
IRS Combats Identity Theft and Refund Fraud on Many Fronts
IRS YouTube Videos ID Theft: Protect Yourself from Identity Theft: English | Spanish | ASL ID Theft: Are You a Victim of Identity Theft?: English | Spanish | ASL Podcasts ID Theft: Protect Yourself from Identity Theft: English | Spanish ID Theft: Are You a Victim of Identity Theft?: English…
Broward Man Slapped with Stiff 13-Year Prison Sentence in ID-Theft, Tax-Fraud Case
February 22, 2013 Rodney St. Fleur admitted in federal court Friday that he stole thousands of Social Security numbers of prison inmates through LexisNexis database searches at his employer’s law office in North Miami. St. Fleur then sold the valuable digits to a gang member accused of filing millions of…
IRS Cracks Down On Identity Theft, Tax Fraud
February 7, 2013 With tax filing season heating up, an aggressive Internal Revenue Service crackdown is targeting the growing problem of criminals who use stolen identities to seek tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent tax refunds. Acting IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller said Thursday that a January sweep in…
Riverview Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft
U.S. Attorney’s Office February 13, 2013 TAMPA, FL—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that Carlista Hawls pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, wire fraud, and theft of government funds and one count of aggravated identity theft. Hawls faces a maximum penalty…
Former University Community Hospital Employee Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft
U.S. Attorney’s Office February 12, 2013 TAMPA, FL—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that Tanya Cullens today pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, wire fraud, theft of government funds, and one count of aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum penalty of…
Palm Beach County Health Department Employee Arrested for Stealing Patient Information
U.S. Attorney’s Office February 12, 2013 Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Salita St. Simon, 30, of Belle Glade, was arrested today on a charge of…
Eleven South Florida Residents Charged in $34 Million Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme
U.S. Attorney’s Office February 08, 2013 Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Paula Reid, Special Agent…
Castor Announces Progress in Combating Identity Theft and Tax Fraud
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor detailed today the progress made in the fight against identity theft and tax-related crimes, and announced the filing of new legislation to continue the momentum. Together with Rep. Rich Nugent, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and local law enforcement, Castor has pressed successfully for strong action…
Miami U.S. Attorney Issues Warning and Crackdown on ID Theft
Guard your identity with your life, warns South Florida’s top law enforcement official. U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer says the double whammy of ID theft and tax-refund scams are the “new Medicare fraud,” picking the pockets of hard-working people and the federal government every year for billions of dollars. “We need…
Fourteen Defendants Charged in Separate Stolen Identity Refund Schemes
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Richard Weber, Chief, IRS-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI); Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Office; Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge;…
Examples of Identity Theft Schemes – Fiscal Year 2013
The following examples of identity theft schemes are written from public record documents on file in the court records in the judicial district in which the cases were prosecuted. Alabama Woman Sentenced for Identity Theft Conspiracy On January 2, 2013, in Montgomery, Ala., Nakesha Donaldson was sentenced to 57 months…
