United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted a Mississippi woman for being part of a scheme to file fraudulent income tax returns using stolen identities and causing the refunds to be mailed to post office boxes in Louisiana.
Shannon A. Brumfield, 48, of Byram, Miss., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, 11 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Brumfield used her position as a lieutenant at Hinds County Detention Center to access the Hinds County Jail Management System and steal names and Social Security numbers of inmates and other individuals.
Brumfield and other members of the conspiracy not named in the indictment used the stolen identities to file fictitious IRS tax returns from May 2011 until December 2012.
Based on the fraudulent returns, the IRS issued tax refunds and mailed them to U.S. Post Office boxes in Tallulah, La. Brumfield faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy count and each mail fraud count.
She faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years for the aggravated identity theft counts, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.
She also faces up to three years of supervised release and possible forfeiture of property derived from the proceeds of the offenses. The IRS – Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
SOURCE: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana