Montgomery, Alabama - Edmund Lee McCall, pled guilty today to the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney George Beck Jr. A co-defendant in this case, Antonio Devon Harris, pled guilty to the same charges in January 2014. Both McCall and Harris are from Montgomery, Alabama.
According to court documents, beginning in 2010 and continuing through October 2012, McCall and Harris conspired together, along with others, to illegally obtain the names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and other personal information of unsuspecting people. McCall and Harris used the victims’ personal information to create W2s with fraudulent employee and wage information and to file income tax returns on-line without the knowledge or permission of the identity theft victims.
After filing the false tax returns, McCall and Harris would have the refund money put on pre-paid credit cards that they owned. Once the funds were received, they would spend the money for their own personal use. During the time period of the conspiracy, McCall and Harris filed for more than $900,000 in fraudulent income tax refunds.
McCall and Harris each face a maximum sentence of 20 years for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge, and two years for aggravated identity theft. Antonio Harris is set for sentencing on August 5, 2014. A sentencing date has not yet been set for McCall.
Edmund McCall is currently serving a sentence for a prior identity theft and credit card scheme that ran from 2004 to 2009. In January 2014, McCall was tried and convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, along with six counts of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced to 18 years for those crimes.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise O. Simpson.
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: usaalm.press@usdoj.gov
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
