Fourth Individual Sentenced In Scheme To Fraudulently Obtain Federal Tax Refunds

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Savannah, Ga. woman, who previously admitted to her role in a conspiracy to unlawfully obtain federal tax refunds, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison.  She is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case.

Chief U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced 57-year-old Lavonda Jones Hunt for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. 

Hunt admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the United States by receiving and redeeming federal tax refunds,  in the names of other individuals, as a result of fraudulently filed tax returns.  Co-conspirator Alreshia Blackmon, who worked for the Kentucky state penitentiary, admitted to supplying co-conspirators with personal identifying information of inmates, for the purpose of filing tax returns in their names.  Co-conspirator Candice Casanova admitted to obtaining personal identifying information of numerous individuals through various means.  Casanova further admitted to preparing and filing the false tax returns from Tampa, Florida, and then directing that the refund checks be sent to locations in Kentucky for Hunt, a then-Lexington resident, to retrieve.  Hunt cashed these refunds with Azzam Maali, at his small grocery store, Progress Foods, which is located in Lexington, Kentucky.  Maali charged a significant fee for cashing these obviously fraudulent refunds.

The other co-conspirators in this case have already been sentenced.  Blackmon received a sentence of 12 months and 1 day; Casanova received a sentence of 51 months; and Maali received a sentence of 15 months.          

Under federal law, Hunt, Blackmon, Casanova, and Maali must serve 85% of their prison sentences and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 1 to 3 years after their release from prison.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tracey D. Montano, Special Agent in Charge of the Nashville Field Office for the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; and Jon Oldham, Resident Agent in Charge of the Lexington Resident Office for the United States Secret Service, jointly announce the sentences.