Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced an indictment was filed against Beverly Burns, age 26, of Arlington, Texas, Lajuana Batey, age 35, of Toledo, Ohio, Latoya Batey, age 24, of Arlington, Texas, and Shereece Coffey, age 30, of Toledo, Ohio.
The indictment charges defendants with conspiracy and making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims. The defendants devised a scheme to enrich themselves through the submission of false, fictitious and fraudulent tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service during the years 2009 to 2011. The defendants, and others, shared the proceeds obtained from the false return scheme, by converting the refund checks to their own use.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Internal Revenue Service, Toledo, Ohio. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph R. Wilson.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
