The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Reuters)
A former IRS employee was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft over her role in an identity theft refund scheme. Stephanie Parker, a resident of Georgia, worked for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a Contact Representative in Atlanta.
Ms. Parker, who on at least 5 occasions used taxpayers’ personal information to electronically file fraudulent tax returns in their names, pleaded guilty in August.
These were taxpayers who called into the IRS for assistance from September 2012 to March 2013 and were unfortunate enough to have Ms. Parker handle their inquiries. When the fraudulent tax returns were filed, Ms. Parker directed refunds to bank accounts controlled by her friends.
Subsequently, she had the money withdrawn from at least one of those accounts and deposited a portion of the money into her own bank account. The funds were used for personal expenses.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak for the Northern District of Georgia, made the announcement, and commended special agents at the IRS–Criminal Investigation and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Trial Attorneys Alexander Effendi and Michael Boteler of the Tax Division, prosecuted this case.
Ms. Parker was also ordered to serve one year of supervised release after the 24 month prison sentence and to pay $5,964 in restitution to the IRS.
