DataBreaches.Net

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

Computer consultant sentenced to prison for access device fraud scheme

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Dissent

ATLANTA – Kevin Kirton has been sentenced for running an access device fraud scheme that involved stealing over $600,000 in fraudulent tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.

“Kirton created technical ‘solutions’ to conduct his own fraud schemes and help others commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Every thief believes they have developed a new undetectable method to steal.  As in this case, they will be caught, prosecuted, and face years in federal prison to contemplate their failed endeavor.”

“Kirton was part of a significant tax fraud scheme and his operation defrauded American taxpayers by using stolen identities to solicit the issuance of fraudulent tax refunds,” said Special Agent in Charge, James E. Dorsey, IRS. “This sentencing should serve as a warning to other would-be schemers.   As tax filing season continues, those attempting similar thefts from the US Treasury should be aware, Special Agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation will continue the aggressive pursuit of anyone attempting to defraud America’s tax system.”

“As evidenced by the length of the prison sentence in this case, fraud is a pernicious crime, especially when it involves identity theft.” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Steven R. Baisel. “The Secret Service along with our federal partners will continue to aggressively investigate and bring to justice those attempting to compromise our financial infrastructure.”

“The egregious criminal conduct in this case resulted in the theft of both identities and tax refunds, and shows once again that crime does not pay,” stated Kyle A. Myles, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG).  “We continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to combat financial crime — and its impact on our nation’s banks and financial institutions.”

According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Kevin Kirton created a computer program to file fraudulent federal income tax returns with the IRS. The computer program stored stolen identities and could be used to submit fraudulent tax returns in the names of stolen identities to the IRS, effectively automating stolen identity tax refund fraud. The computer program could be accessed remotely via the internet to prepare fraudulent tax returns. The resulting fraudulent tax refunds were deposited onto prepaid debit cards in the names of identity theft victims.

To help conceal the fraud activity, Kirton developed techniques to hide Internet Protocol addresses so the IRS could not trace a fraudulent tax return back to one particular origination point. Kirton also set up a bootleg phone system that he believed would not be susceptible to wiretaps to communicate with other criminals.

A search warrant was conducted at Kirton’s residence and law enforcement discovered, among other things, hundreds of prepaid debit cards in the names of identity theft victims and numerous fake driver’s licenses. Law enforcement also found a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration information booklet titled “Income and Withholding Verification Processes are Resulting in the Issuance of Potentially Fraudulent Tax Refunds.”

While Kirton’s case was pending and he was out on bond, he telephonically contacted an associate who was detained at the Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility, seeking to influence the testimony of a cooperator in his case. Recorded jail calls between Kirton and his jailed associate show that Kirton repeatedly sought to convey veiled threats to the cooperator through the jailed associate. Due to this conduct, Kirton’s bond was revoked and he was detained pending resolution of his case.

Kevin Kirton, 44, of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced on March 14, 2022, to six years, nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $629,551. On June 17, 2021, he pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alana Black and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Howard prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia

Related posts:

  • IRS’s Top 10 Identity Theft Prosecutions
  • IRS’s Top Ten Identity Theft Prosecutions
  • Ringleader of $24 Million Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Ring Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
  • 13 Bay area defendants charged in 4 separate tax fraud schemes
Category: ID Theft

Post navigation

← Health insurance: Data of more than 500,000 people stolen in France
HIPAA’s Role in Setting Good Security →

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

  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • Texas Centers for Infectious Disease Associates Notifies Individuals of Data Breach in 2024
  • Battlefords Union Hospitals notifies patients of employee snooping in their records
  • Alert: Scattered Spider has added North American airline and transportation organizations to their target list
  • Northern Light Health patients affected by security incident at Compumedics; 10 healthcare entities affected
  • Privacy commissioner reviewing reported Ontario Health atHome data breach
  • CMS warns Medicare providers of fraud scheme
  • Ex-student charged with wave of cyber attacks on Sydney uni
  • Detaining Hackers Before the Crime? Tamil Nadu’s Supreme Court Approves Preventive Custody for Cyber Offenders
  • Potential Cyberattack Scrambles Columbia University Computer Systems

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

  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • Germany Wants Apple, Google to Remove DeepSeek From Their App Stores
  • Supreme Court upholds Texas law requiring age verification on porn sites
  • Justices nix Medicaid ‘right’ to choose doctor, defunding Planned Parenthood in South Carolina
  • European Commission publishes its plan to enable more effective law enforcement access to data
  • Sacred Secrets: The Biblical Case for Privacy and Data Protection
  • Microsoft’s Departing Privacy Chief Calls for Regulator Outreach

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.