GEORGIA
A federal judge sentenced a Columbus, Georgia resident to three years in prison today for her role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, according to officials.
Between June 2012 and December 2013, Tonya Alexander worked as a bank teller at SunTrust Bank in Columbus. Alexander received and cashed fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks in exchange for a fee.
Alexander’s co-conspirators, including Tracy Mitchell, Keisha Lanier and others, filed fraudulent income tax returns using stolen identities and directed other co-conspirators to bring the fraudulently obtained refund checks to Alexander to cash, according to officials.
Alexander received and cashed about 330 fraudulently obtained tax refund checks that totaled more than $600,000. Alexander also recruited another bank teller, co-conspirator Vicky Wheeler, to assist in cashing the tax refund checks.
On Aug. 5, Alexander plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of public money, according to officials.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, Alexander was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $606,000 in restitution to the IRS. Keisha Lanier was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison on Sept. 25, 2015.
Tracy Mitchell was sentenced to 13 years and 3 months in prison on Aug. 7, 2015.