A Phenix City, Alabama, resident pleaded guilty today in the Middle District of Alabama for her role in a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) scheme, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
According to court documents, between March 2011 and May
2014, Teresa Floyd conspired with her daughter, Lasondra Miles Davis, and
others to defraud the United States by filing false federal income tax returns
using stolen identities. Miles Davis
obtained the means of identification of individuals without their authorization
and provided the stolen identities to Floyd.
Floyd and her co-conspirators obtained Electronic Filing Identification
Numbers (EFINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the names of tax
preparation businesses, which Floyd then used to file false tax returns with
the stolen identities. All of the false
returns included fraudulent claims for tax refunds. Floyd, Miles Davis and others cashed the
refund checks at several companies in Alabama and Georgia, and Floyd deposited
refund checks into her bank account.
Floyd faces a mandatory statutory sentence of two years in
prison for the aggravated identity theft count and an additional statutory
maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy count. Both counts include a statutory maximum fine
of $250,000. Miles Davis pleaded guilty
on April 10 to one count of aggravated identity theft and is scheduled to be
sentenced on Aug. 12.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney
Beck commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated
the case, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Michael P. Hatzimichalis
of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle
District of Alabama, who are prosecuting the case.
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