Donald W. Sanders Press Release (Indictment)

August 26, 2004
For Immediate Release

STATE INMATE INDICTED ON SIXTY-SIX COUNTS OF PREPARING AND FILING FALSE CLAIMS FOR REFUNDS FROM THE IRS

St. Louis, Missouri: An inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center has been indicted on charges of preparing and filing claims for refunds from the IRS, United States Attorney James G. Martin announced today.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew T. Schelp handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

DONALD W. SANDERS, 46, of the 3300 block of S. 18th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63118, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on sixty-six (66) counts of preparing and filing claims for refunds from the IRS.

If convicted, Sanders faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and/or a fine of $1,000 per count.

According to the indictment, while Donald Sanders was an inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center located in Pacific, Missouri, he prepared and filed at least sixty-six (66) false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Sanders would fraudulently modify legitimate W-2s by enlarging them on a photocopier, using correction fluid to remove the employee information, typing in false employee information and using the photocopier to reduce the size of the altered W-2 forms. Sanders would then use the altered W-2s in preparing fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of $73,352.14.

“The IRS has significantly improved its ability to detect fraudulent tax refund schemes,” said Al Patton, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “The recovery of fraudulent refunds issued and the criminal prosecution of those who committed the fraud are aggressively pursued.”

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI JAMES G. MARTIN United States Attorney	NEWS RELEASE
For further information: Call Public Affairs Officer Jan Diltz at (314) 539-7719
August 26, 2004 For Immediate Release STATE INMATE INDICTED ON SIXTY-SIX COUNTS OF PREPARING AND FILING FALSE CLAIMS FOR REFUNDS FROM THE IRS St. Louis, Missouri: An inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center has been indicted on charges of preparing and filing claims for refunds from the IRS, United States Attorney James G. Martin announced today. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew T. Schelp handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. DONALD W. SANDERS, 46, of the 3300 block of S. 18th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63118, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on sixty-six (66) counts of preparing and filing claims for refunds from the IRS. If convicted, Sanders faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and/or a fine of $1,000 per count. According to the indictment, while Donald Sanders was an inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center located in Pacific, Missouri, he prepared and filed at least sixty-six (66) false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Sanders would fraudulently modify legitimate W-2s by enlarging them on a photocopier, using correction fluid to remove the employee information, typing in false employee information and using the photocopier to reduce the size of the altered W-2 forms. Sanders would then use the altered W-2s in preparing fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of $73,352.14. “The IRS has significantly improved its ability to detect fraudulent tax refund schemes,” said Al Patton, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “The recovery of fraudulent refunds issued and the criminal prosecution of those who committed the fraud are aggressively pursued.” The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.