Memphis, TN - A Somerville woman was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment for theft of government funds. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Tenika Finnie-Smith, owner of Elite Tax Service, was a repeat felony offender who stole the identities of tax-payers. Without the knowledge or permission of the taxpayer, Smith used clients’ personal information to file 2011 and 2012 false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Smith also listed false claims on tax returns and made deposits.
From 2011 and 2012, Smith deposited more than $190,000 in tax refunds into her personal bank account. She would immediately withdraw the funds to use for gambling and other personal benefits without notifying tax-payers. As a result of the theft, some tax-payers never received a refund.
The case was investigated by the United States Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Keith Griffin is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
