Nine Alabama Family Members Indicted in Conspiracy
to Obtain Tax Refunds Using Stolen Identities

Barbara Murry, Douglas Murry, Douglas Murry III, Yolanda Moses, Lee Moses, Veronica Temple, Jeffrey Temple, Almetta Johnson and Courtney Johnson were charged in an indictment by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama on a variety of counts stemming from an identity theft and tax fraud scheme, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The 33-count indictment charges all nine with conspiring to defraud the United States and to commit theft of public funds and with theft of public funds. Barbara Murry, Yolanda Moses and Veronica Temple are also charged with aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed today.

According to the indictment, all of the defendants are related to each other. Barbara Murry owned and operated B & B Weaving Shop, located in Montgomery, Ala. B& B Weaving Shop was located in the same building as B & B Tax Service. Barbara Murry’s daughter, Yolanda Moses, owned and operated B & B Tax Service. Between 2006 and 2012, Barbara Murry, Yolanda Moses and Veronica Temple allegedly filed false federal income tax returns with stolen identities and had refunds directly deposited into the bank accounts of the defendants and others. The bank accounts received at least $1.3 million in false tax refunds.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, all the defendants face terms of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and 10 years for each theft of government funds count. Barbara Murry, Veronica Temple and Yolanda Moses face mandatory 2-year sentences for the aggravated identity theft counts. All the defendants are also subject to fines and mandatory restitution if convicted.

Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. commended the efforts of special agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Morris, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/tax.