DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Alabama And Georgia Residents Sentenced To Prison For Their Participation In $3 Million Identity Theft Scheme

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Dissent

A Phenix City, Alabama, resident was sentenced yesterday to serve 111 months in prison for her role in a more than $3 million Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) tax scheme.

Carnesha Alexander was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $840,692. On Feb. 5, a co-conspirator in the scheme, Robert Walker, of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 94 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $840,692. Alexander and Walker each previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between January 2011 and December 2013, Alexander, Walker and their co-conspirators used stolen identities to file more than 900 false tax returns that requested approximately $3.4 million in tax refunds. Alexander obtained stolen identities from various sources, including the identities of employees from a company in Columbus. In order to file the false tax returns, Alexander, Walker and their co-conspirators applied for and obtained several Electronic Filing Numbers (EFINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the names of sham tax businesses. The tax refunds claimed on the false returns were paid via U.S. Treasury checks mailed to addresses under the control of participants in the scheme, prepaid debit cards issued by financial institutions, and deposits to financial institutions connected to the business EFINs that allowed participants in the scheme to print refund checks. Walker and his co-conspirators cashed the fraudulent refund checks at several businesses located in Alabama and Walker deposited fraudulent refund checks into a bank account he controlled.

“One of the Tax Division’s highest priorities is prosecuting individuals such as Carnesha Alexander, Robert Walker and their co-conspirators, who use stolen identities to file fictitious income tax returns and claim fraudulent refunds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “This street crime threatens the very fabric of tax administration and often victimizes the most vulnerable members of our communities. The Tax Division is committed to working with our partners in law enforcement to identify these schemes, dismantle the criminal operations and punish the offenders who view the Federal Treasury as their own personal bank account.”

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Beck commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler, Charles M. Edgar Jr. and Gregory P. Bailey of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd A. Brown of the Middle District of Alabama.

SOURCE: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Alabama

Category: Business SectorID TheftU.S.

Post navigation

← IRS’s Top Ten Identity Theft Prosecutions
NZ: Plunket medical records from 20 years ago found in Taranaki house →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Nova Scotia Power hit by cyberattack, critical infrastructure targeted, no outages reported
  • Georgia hospital defeats data-tracking lawsuit
  • 60K BTC Wallets Tied to LockBit Ransomware Gang Leaked
  • UK: Legal Aid Agency hit by cyber security incident
  • Public notice for individuals affected by an information security breach in the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division of Helsinki
  • PowerSchool paid a hacker’s extortion demand, but now school district clients are being extorted anyway (3)
  • Defending Against UNC3944: Cybercrime Hardening Guidance from the Frontlines
  • Call for Public Input: Essential Cybersecurity Protections for K-12 Schools (2025-26 SY)
  • Cyberattack puts healthcare on hold for hundreds in St. Louis metro
  • Europol: DDoS-for-hire empire brought down: Poland arrests 4 administrators, US seizes 9 domains

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Apple Siri Eavesdropping Payout Deadline Confirmed—How To Make A Claim
  • Privacy matters to Canadians – Privacy Commissioner of Canada marks Privacy Awareness Week with release of latest survey results
  • Missouri Clinic Must Give State AG Minor Trans Care Information
  • Georgia hospital defeats data-tracking lawsuit
  • No Postal Service Data Sharing to Deport Immigrants
  • DOGE aims to pool federal data, putting personal information at risk
  • Privacy concerns swirl around HHS plan to build Medicare, Medicaid database on autism

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.