Stone Mountain woman sentenced for stealing IDs of homeless, disabled people
A DeKalb County woman was sentenced Friday for filing fake income tax returns by stealing the identities of homeless and disabled people, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Cora Cadia Ford, 55, of Stone Mountain, was sentenced to nine years, three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised released, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said. She must also pay $101,015 in restitution, Yates’ office said.
“Stealing someone’s identity for personal gain is bad enough, but this defendant targeted some of the most vulnerable people in our community — the homeless and disabled,” Yates said in an emailed statement. “Her crimes left people who were already disadvantaged to deal with yet another obstacle in their lives. The defendant’s significant sentence today will hopefully bring some solace to those who suffered from her greed.”
From about January 2007 to May 2011, Ford prepared and filed false tax returns with the IRS using the names and social security numbers of the poor, homeless and disabled, Yates’ office said. Ford then obtained tax refunds and used the money for her own benefit.
Investigators believe Ford would get information from people by telling them she would apply for a homeless grant with the government. There is no such grant, Yates said. Ford, who ran a small church with her late husband, also told people that she would file a tax return on their behalf and it would be “a gift from God,” Yates’ office said.
Ford was found guilty by a jury in September on 30 counts of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and filing false claims with the government.
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