A south Fulton County teenager accused of trying to steal millions from the Georgia Department of Revenue is back in jail, just days after being released from another jail.
Charles Turner, 19, allegedly used an online gaming and electronics business to steal bank account information. Then, according to state investigators, Turner created a scheme through which he overpaid taxes in hopes of reaping big refunds.
In December, Turner’s home was searched. At the time, Turner was wanted by Henry County investigators on a fraud allegation, and he was arrested.
Earlier this month, the Henry charge was dropped and Turner was released from jail, Channel 2 Action News reported. But state investigators filed new charges against Turner, and he was re-arrested and booked into the DeKalb County jail.
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“He told us that he was using a website that would collect payment information and that he was able to get the routing and account and banking information from that website and then use that information to make payments to us, along with his car payment and other payments, as well,” Josh Waites, an investigator with the Department of Revenue, told Channel 2.
Turner’s business, called Riverdale X, was designed to sell Amazon products for a fee. But instead, Turner accessed customers’ bank accounts, Waites said.
“He actually set up a business, set up withholding accounts and sales tax accounts, and was overpaying by more than $25 million onto those accounts, and then requesting refunds for those same amounts to be returned back to him in his personal checking account,” Waites said.
In December when news of Turner’s arrest was posted on AJC.com, two Missouri teens contacted The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to say they believe they were victims of the scam. The two reported the information to investigators.
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