Cashed over two million dollars in fraudulent income tax refund checks
NORFOLK, Va. - Tanya Evans, 34, of Norfolk, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims. Evans was also ordered to pay $2,087,571.14 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigations, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.
Evans waived indictment and pled guilty to criminal information on Dec. 30, 2014. According to court documents, she and a co-conspirator’s scheme was discovered in 2013 after a local check cashing business noticed that she had cashed over $2 million in U.S. Treasury checks. Evans indicated she was paid her $200 per check to cash the treasury checks in violation of the company’s policies. A subsequent IRS investigation determined that she cashed 640 checks that totaled just over two million dollars in fraudulent income tax refunds.
This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph L. Kosky is prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:14cr174.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
