Four Cobb County residents are among a group of five people indicted by an Oregon grand jury in a nationwide scheme to steal identity information from 125,000 people to submit phony income tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.
Lateef Aina Animawun, 34, of Smyrna; Oluwatobi Rueben Dehinbo, 30, of Marietta; Oluwaseunara Temitope Osanyinbi, 34, of Marietta; and Oluwamuyiwa Abolad Olawoye, 28, of Marietta, were arrested by federal agents and an arrest warrant was issued for a fifth suspect, of Maryland. The four from Cobb made their initial court appearances in Georgia, but will be arraigned in Oregon, U.S. Attorney S. Amanda Marshall said.
The suspects are alleged to have unlawfully obtained the identity information from a data breach of over 125,000 taxpayers and filed over 980 false federal tax returns seeking over $6.6 million in fraudulent refunds, according to investigators. Although the IRS rejected $4.6 million of the claimed refunds, the indictment alleges that the defendants successfully obtained $2 million in illegal refunds.
“Attacking identity theft is among our highest priorities,” acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said. “Those who unlawfully obtain personal identifying information wreak havoc on the lives of innocent taxpayers and will be held fully accountable.”
After stealing the personal information from thousands of people, the conspirators filed tax returns claiming fraudulent returns, which they had directed deposited to debit cards or personal bank accounts, prosecutors said. The scheme dates back until at least 2012.
Those indicted have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; seven counts of mail fraud; six counts of wire fraud; and thirteen counts of aggravated identity theft. The fraud and conspiracy charges are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million, Marshall’s office said in an emailed statement.
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