Two Illinois Women Plead Guilty to Conspiring to File Fraudulent Tax Returns Using Stolen Identities | WPN World People News

Roxann Gist and Dominique King, both of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and other charges related to a scheme to obtain fraudulent tax refunds using stolen ID information, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon of the Northern District of Illinois.

According to documents filed with the court, from 2012 to 2015, Gist, 45, and King, 26, along with another co-conspirator filed at least 858 fraudulent income tax returns, using stolen names and social security numbers. Those returns sought approximately $2,780,724 in refunds. As part of the scheme, Gist and King acquired the personal identification information of thousands of unsuspecting individuals, and directed others to receive and collect fraudulent income tax refund checks, and to open up bank accounts to receive direct deposits of such refunds. They also recruited others to provide addresses where refund checks could be delivered.

Gist and King are scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 and June 14, respectively. Gist faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to steal public funds, 10 years in prison for theft of public money and a two-year mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft, which will run consecutive to any other sentence imposed by the court. King faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to steal public funds and a two-year mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft, which will run consecutive to any other sentence imposed by the court. Gist and King also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice