STATESBORO, GA - Three federal defendants - PORSCHE S. PINKNEY, TIDAESHA V. TAYLOR, and GREGORY F. SMITH, JR. - pled guilty last week before United States District Court Judge B. Avant Edenfield for their involvement in a stolen identity and tax fraud scheme that was centered in Statesboro, Georgia.
Earlier this year, these 3 defendants, along with 10 others who were also involved in the scheme, were charged with federal crimes ranging from conspiracy to defraud the IRS to identity theft from medical records. According to evidence presented during hearings in these cases, the participants in the scheme illicitly obtained personal identifiers, such as names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, which they then used to prepare and submit fraudulent tax returns in order to unlawfully obtain tax refunds.
The 3 defendants who pled guilty last week were the last to be convicted of the 13 defendants originally charged in this identity theft and tax fraud scheme. Each of the defendants are listed as follows:
ERICA BALDWIN, 31, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on June 25, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
TRACY DENSON, 44, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 30, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
SHAKITA EASON, 30, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on June 18, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
YOLANDA EDMOND, 36, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 11, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
GLORIA EVANS, 44, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 11, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
JOSHUA MINCEY, 20, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on June 25, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
PORSCHE S. PINKNEY, 19, of Augusta, Georgia, pled guilty on Aug. 21, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
DWAN SCOTT, 32, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 30, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
JENNA SCOTT, 28, of Jacksonville, Florida, pled guilty on July 30, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
GREGORY F. SMITH, JR., 21, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pled guilty on Aug. 21, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
ASHA K. SPAULDING, 37, of Claxton, Georgia, pled guilty on March 12, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
TIDAESHA V. TAYLOR, 27, of College Park, Georgia, pled guilty on Aug. 21, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
ANDREA WEBB, 31, of Register, Georgia, pled guilty on June 5, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
These defendants face a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment for the conspiracy charges, ten years imprisonment for the charge of misusing medical records, and a two-year mandatory, consecutive prison sentence for aggravated identity theft. Each of these charges also carries a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing dates for these defendants have not yet been scheduled.
United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “These convictions demonstrate the continuing commitment of the Department of Justice to protecting the identities and the privacy of medical records of American citizens. This investigation is ongoing. Our law enforcement partners will continue to track down identity thieves and bring them to justice."
FBI Special Agent Marcus Kirkland and IRS Special Agent Gwen Weston are the federal law enforcement officers who have been leading the investigation in these cases, in connection with the Statesboro Police Department and other state and local agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys David Stewart and Lamont A. Belk are prosecuting the cases. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 341-7842.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
