{"id":15951,"date":"2015-09-28T11:24:06","date_gmt":"2015-09-28T18:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=15951"},"modified":"2015-09-28T11:24:06","modified_gmt":"2015-09-28T18:24:06","slug":"mastermind-of-24-million-tax-fraud-ring-sentenced-to-15-years-in-federal-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=15951","title":{"rendered":"Mastermind of $24 Million Tax Fraud Ring Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALABAMA<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"Department<\/a>A federal judge sentenced the mastermind of $24 million ID theft tax refund ring to 15 years in prison, officials announced Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tax fraud resulted in 9,000 identifies stolen from the U.S. Army, Alabama state agencies and Georgia companies, according to authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

The IRS paid out $10 million on these fraudulent tax fraud claims.<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose<\/strong>\u00a0also ordered that Keisha Lanier,<\/strong> a resident of Newnan, Georgia, forfeit $5.8 million.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s sentence brings to a close an extensive criminal network led by Keisha Lanier and designed to victimize U.S. citizens and defraud the U.S. Treasury of over $20 million in fraudulent refund claims,\u201d said Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline Ciraolo.\u00a0<\/strong> \u201cThe substantial sentences imposed on Ms. Lanier and her co-defendants send a clear message that those who chose to engage in such criminal conduct will pay a very heavy price.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On May 19, Tamika Floyd<\/strong>, a defendant in a related case, was sentenced to serve seven years and three months in prison.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

On June 25, Tamaica Hoskins<\/strong>, a co-defendant charged in the same indictment, was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

The mother of a U.S. Army soldier whose identity was stolen submitted a statement describing the consequences of the fraud on her and her family:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“While [my son] was fighting for our country and all back home[,] I received a very disturbing phone call from [an] Agent [] from the IRS that my son[,] while at Ft. Benning training to defend our country[,] the land of the free[,] had his identity stolen and fraudulent tax returns were filed with his social security number. \u00a0This news was devastating to think that my [] 19-year-old son[,] who was defending the very freedom this country stands [for] [,] was wronged by one of those people [he] was willing to die for.\u00a0 My whole family could not believe what was happening.\u00a0 We now had to worry about this terrible act by one of our own.\u00a0 As I tried my best to keep composed and handle all of the gruesome mounds of paperwork to get this straightened out with the IRS, [my son] was then denied his tax refund. \u00a0This created a financial hardship on [him].\u00a0 We were too afraid to tell [him] while he was deployed because we did not want to worry him and we wanted him to focus only on getting home alive and not have to worry about such an atrocious act by someone who did not even know [him].”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"IRS-Criminal<\/a>\u201cNo sentence is too strong for those who prey on our fighting men and women,\u201d said U.S. Attorney George Beck Jr.<\/strong> \u00a0\u201cWar is hell on the home front, too, and the family left behind holding things together must be strongly protected.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>On Aug. 7, the following sentences were imposed on Lanier\u2019s other co-defendants:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n