Columbia, South Carolina -------- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that James Littlejohn, age 66, of Gaffney, South Carolina, was sentenced for two counts of theft of United States government funds in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. Senior United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., sentenced Littlejohn to serve five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Littlejohn was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $220,958.00.
At the guilty plea hearing on April 24, 2018, Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens advised the Court of the following facts. In February 2013 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) received two Form 1040 Individual Income Tax Returns bearing Mr. Littlejohn’s name, address and Social Security Number. Each showed a large income with various deductions entitling Mr. Littlejohn to a refund for tax year 2011 of $98,261.44 and a refund for tax year 2012 of $122,696.56. Two checks in these amounts were sent to Mr. Littlejohn who cashed same and converted the funds to his own use. It was later learned that the Form 1040s were bogus and that Mr. Littlejohn was not entitled to the claimed refunds.
United States Attorney Lydon stated that the case had been investigated and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jaime Raich of the Southern District of Florida and Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the District of South Carolina, Greenville office. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
