Alabama Woman Sentenced to Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Obtain Tax Refunds

Jacqueline Slaton was sentenced to 70 months in prison and order to pay restitution of over $100,000 for her involvement in stolen identity refund fraud scheme, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.

 

According to court documents, in 2012, Slaton was in the midst of filing false tax returns using stolen identities when IRS special agents executed a search warrant and ended her operation. At the time, Slaton had access to hundreds of stolen identities.

 

According to the plea agreement, between December 2011 and March 2012, Slaton filed at least 102 fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities. She also filed 102 fraudulent Alabama state tax returns. The total federal and state tax refunds requested was $154,904. Slaton had the tax refunds directed to prepaid debit cards and had the cards mailed to various addresses on a U.S. carrier’s route. A postal employee agreed to collect the prepaid debit cards for a fee.

 

“The Justice Department remains committed to investigating and prosecuting tax fraud perpetrated by identity thieves,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally. “The lengthy prison sentences handed down by this court, in this and other cases, show that criminals will pay a high price for committing stolen identity refund fraud.”

 

“Be assured that IRS has made an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of identity theft,” stated Richard Weber, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Identity theft is not a victimless crime. Identity theft is a contemptible crime that victimizes honest taxpayers and causes immense hardship. IRS Criminal Investigation works in concert with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and together we will hold those who engage in similar conduct accountable.”

 

Assistant Attorney General Keneally and George L. Beck Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, commended the efforts of special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown, who prosecuted the case.