An Atlanta woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison this week for attempting to steal more than $450,000 from University of Iowa employees, according to multiple media reports.
According to the Gazette, which is based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 39-year-old Nadine Nzuega Robinson pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering. She owned a check-cashing business called Azalea, which was opened in 2013 with a companion in Doraville.
Robinson used falsely-obtained tax refunds from university employees to purchase money orders, which she then laundered using her business’ bank account, the newspaper reported. She purchased a house in Atlanta with money she obtained from the scheme.
The IRS conducted the investigation, and the case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
In early March 2015, local authorities in Cedar Rapids discovered false tax returns in 2014 that were being electronically submitted to the IRS, the Gazette reported. These returns used names, addresses, occupations and Social Security numbers of UI employees.
According to sentencing documents obtained by the Gazette, over $450,000 in tax refunds from UI employees were obtained during the scheme. Over $5 million fraudulently-obtained funds passed through the Azalea account during March and April 2015.
Robinson was also ordered to forfeit her previously purchased home and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term.
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