This article has been modified to remove the name of an individual associated with a sealed case file.
Nine people from metro Atlanta, including a former Social Security Administration employee, were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a $5 million income tax scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
The scheme involved stolen identities from more than 1,000 people, Acting U.S. Attorney John Horn said in an emailed statement.
“Those who file false tax refund claims using stolen identities threaten the integrity of our federal income tax system and pose a real danger to the credit history and financial security of the individuals whose identities are stolen,” Horn said.
From approximately January 2011 until March 2012, Shawn Brown, 38, of Atlanta, led the criminal organization, commonly called stolen identity refund fraud, according to investigators. Brown and others used stolen personal identification information from more than 1,000 victims, along with fake wage and withholding information, to prepare and electronically file fraudulent returns claiming $5 million in tax refunds.
The Internal Revenue Service intercepted most of the fraudulent returns before refunds were issued, Horn’s office said. However, more than $2 million in fraudulent refunds were sent to the defendants.
Ronald Bennett, 30, of Hiram, a former SSA employee, accessed a database to steal the identities, according to prosecutors. Brown also recruited others in the scheme.
Those sentenced include:
Brown: Convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Friday, Brown was sentenced to 13 years, 4 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,230,021.
Bennett: Convicted of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Friday, Bennett was sentenced to serve 2 years, 3 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3000.
Maurice Pollock, 33, of Mableton: Convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Friday, Pollock was sentenced to serve 5 years, 10 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $888,697.
Marcus Behling, 31, of Powder Springs: Convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Wednesday, Behling was sentenced to serve 3 years, 3 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $698,249.66.
Jonathan Stubbs, 32, of Mableton: Convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Friday, Stubbs was sentenced to serve 6 years, 1 month in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $659,599.94.
Nyron Nelson, 40, of Roswell: Convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On Friday, Nelson was sentenced to serve 3 years, 1 month in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $98,671.
Kelly Lonas, 40, of Roswell: Convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On Friday, Lonas was sentenced to serve 2 years, 5 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $98,671.
Christopher Edwards, 44, of Eutaw, Ala.: Convicted aggravated identity theft. On Friday, Edwards was sentenced to serve 2 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9265.
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