A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned an indictment charging Jacqueline Slaton for using stolen identities to file false tax returns, the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The 12-count indictment, which was unsealed following her arrest, charges Slaton with filing false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Slaton used stolen identities to file false tax returns which fraudulently claimed refunds. Slaton directed a portion of the proceeds to be deposited onto prepaid debit cards.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, she faces a potential maximum of five years in prison for each false claims count, 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, and a mandatory two-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts. She is also subject to fines and mandatory restitution if convicted.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Morris are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/tax.
Source: US Department of Justice
