U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that DOMINIEL TRINETTE JONES, age 26, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal federal funds, theft of federal funds, and aggravated identity theft.
United States District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced JONES to 30 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $500.00 special assessment. The court also ordered JONES to pay restitution of approximately $20,000 to Woodforest National Bank.
According to court documents, in September 2014, JONES conspired with others to unlawfully acquire two United States Treasury checks that did not belong to her. The refund checks were the property of the United States and payable to two actual taxpayers who were owed tax refunds. JONES also obtained two false Georgia driver’s licenses in the names of S.H., and J.V., the two taxpayers who were payees on the refund checks. She obtained these fake licenses for the purpose of opening bank accounts to deposit and steal the Treasury funds. Using the fake driver’s license bearing the name S.H., JONES opened a bank account at Woodforest National Bank in Covington, LA, in S.H.’s name, but deposited the check later that day at a different branch in Gulfport, MS. JONES then traveled to the Woodforest National Bank in New Orleans, LA and withdrew $10,000 from the account bearing the name S.H. using the fake driver’s license.
Additionally, JONES and a coconspirator opened an account in the names of S.V. and J.V. at Woodforest National Bank located in La Place, LA. JONES and the coconspirator presented fraudulent Georgia driver’s licenses in the names of S.V. and J.V. to open the account. The same day, JONES, and the co-conspirator used the Treasury check, payable to S.V. and J.V., as the initial deposit to open the account at Woodforest National Bank in Laplace.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Sharan E. Lieberman was in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
