Jackson, Miss - Rickey McDuffey, of Jackson, was sentenced in federal court today to fifty-six months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit stolen identity refund fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie with IRS - Criminal Investigation.
McDuffy’s co-conspirator, Alicia Haslett, of Jackson, was sentenced on June 19, 2014, to fifty-five months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Both McDuffey and Haslett were also ordered to pay $306,962.17 in restitution and to forfeit that same amount to the government.
McDuffy and Haslett, who were married at the time, conspired to steal personal identifying information which they used to file false federal income tax returns from 2011 through 2013. They both pled guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
Jerome R. McDuffie, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS - Criminal Investigation, stated: “It is my hope that the sentences imposed on Alicia Haslett and Rickey McDuffey make it clear that identity theft related tax fraud is a serious crime and will result in serious consequences. The ring of fraudsters and identity thieves led by Haslett and McDuffey has been successfully disbanded. On behalf of IRS-CI, I would like to thank the Office of the United States Attorney for their aggressive prosecution of cases involving Stolen Identity Refund Fraud."
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at:
(866) 720-5721
You can also fax information to:
(225) 334-4707
or e-mail it to:
disaster@leo.gov
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
