Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Rodney Andre McCray (31, Tampa) to 18 months in federal prison for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered McCray to pay $78,728.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and entered a money judgment in the amount of $3,500.00, the proceeds of the theft personally received by McCray.
McCray pleaded guilty on October 8, 2013.
According to court documents, during the summer of 2012, McCray and another person agreed that McCray would receive fraudulently acquired income tax refund deposits in a bank account opened in McCray’s name. McCray then opened a Bank of America bank account for the purpose of receiving the "drop money," or the fraudulent income tax return deposits. McCray was the only authorized signatory on the bank accounts.
Thereafter, fraudulent Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns ("1040 Returns") were filed with the IRS, directing that any refunds from the returns be deposited into McCray's Bank of America checking account. The 1040 Returns were false and fraudulent, in that the returns: (1) included false information, such as false interest and dividends earned information and related false withholding information; and (2) were filed in the name and on behalf of individuals who did not sign, authorize, or in any way give permission for the returns to be filed. In many cases, the fraudulent 1040 Returns were filed on behalf of deceased persons. In those instances, the 1040 Returns were filed together, with a form stating that McCray was authorized to receive refunds on behalf of the deceased filers, which was also false.
As a result of this scheme, McCray was complicit in converting approximately fifteen fraudulently-acquired U.S. Treasury refunds through his Bank of America account, resulting in a total loss of approximately $78,728.00 to the U.S. Treasury.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
