Former Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Employees Sentenced In Tax Refund Scheme

TALLAHASSEE B Spencer Larry Parson, 25, and Amber Sasha-Rashawn Simmons, 23, both of Tampa, were sentenced to 57 months in federal prison following their guilty pleas to conspiring to defraud the United States in the filing of false tax returns.  Parson and Simmons also pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with the fraudulent tax refund scheme.  The sentences were announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

At their plea hearing, the government’s factual basis stated that between 2011 and 2012, Parson and Simmons prepared and filed fraudulent returns seeking more than $818,000 in tax refunds.  Parson and Simmons created the fraudulent returns using taxpayer identification numbers and other personal identifying information stolen from both living and deceased individuals, who were patients of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Parson was a former employee of the hospital

In addition to the 57 months in prison, the judge also imposed a special monetary assessment of $700, three years of supervised release and ordered Parson and Simmons to pay $283,591.33 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

 The Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Leon County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Coody.