Donald W. Sanders Press Release (Sentencing)

February 4, 2005
For Immediate Release

STATE INMATE IS SENTENCED FOR PREPARING AND FILING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS FOR REFUNDS FROM THE IRS

St. Louis, Missouri: A man who ran a scheme to defraud the IRS while an inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center has been sentenced for preparing and filing fraudulent claims for refunds from the IRS, United States Attorney James G. Martin announced today.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service--Criminal Investigation. 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 sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $73,352. On November 10, 2004, Sanders pleaded guilty to one felony count of preparing and filing claims for refunds from the IRS. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Jean C. Hamilton.

According to the facts filed with the court at the time of the plea, Sanders was an inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center (MECC) in Pacific, Missouri. While incarcerated at MECC, Sanders obtained three legitimate W-2s and used them to create altered form W-2s for himself and a variety of other prisoners at MECC. Using these altered W-2s, Sanders prepared fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds. In total, Sanders prepared and filed at least sixty-six (66) false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of $73,352 to the Internal Revenue Service.

"Identifying and combating tax refund schemes is one of our highest compliance priorities,"said Michael Yasofsky, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "The IRS will find those who promote or join schemes to file fraudulent tax returns and hold them accountable."

"Mr. Sanders will now have the opportunity in a federal penitentiary to learn a new skill over the next three years besides tax preparation,"said United States Attorney James G. Martin.

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
February 4, 2005 For Immediate Release STATE INMATE IS SENTENCED FOR PREPARING AND FILING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS FOR REFUNDS FROM THE IRS St. Louis, Missouri: A man who ran a scheme to defraud the IRS while an inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center has been sentenced for preparing and filing fraudulent claims for refunds from the IRS, United States Attorney James G. Martin announced today. This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service--Criminal Investigation. 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 sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $73,352. On November 10, 2004, Sanders pleaded guilty to one felony count of preparing and filing claims for refunds from the IRS. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Jean C. Hamilton. According to the facts filed with the court at the time of the plea, Sanders was an inmate at the Missouri Eastern Correction Center (MECC) in Pacific, Missouri. While incarcerated at MECC, Sanders obtained three legitimate W-2s and used them to create altered form W-2s for himself and a variety of other prisoners at MECC. Using these altered W-2s, Sanders prepared fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds. In total, Sanders prepared and filed at least sixty-six (66) false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of $73,352 to the Internal Revenue Service. "Identifying and combating tax refund schemes is one of our highest compliance priorities,"said Michael Yasofsky, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "The IRS will find those who promote or join schemes to file fraudulent tax returns and hold them accountable." "Mr. Sanders will now have the opportunity in a federal penitentiary to learn a new skill over the next three years besides tax preparation,"said United States Attorney James G. Martin.