Former IRS Employee Sentenced For Stealing Taxpayer's Identity

PHILADELPHIA - Domeen Flowers, 49, of Maitland, Florida, was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for an identity theft scheme in which she stole the personal information of a taxpayer. Flowers, a former employee of the Internal Revenue Service in Philadelphia, used her position with the IRS to make unauthorized computer entries into the IRS’ Integrated Data Retrieval System. After accessing the system, Flowers obtained personal identifying information pertaining to a taxpayer, identified as “E.R.” She then used the information to apply for credits from different credit card companies in E.R.’s name. Flowers pleaded guilty to the crime on August 16, 2012.

“Identity theft committed by IRS employees is a serious violation of the public’s trust,” said Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George. “It has the potential to harm the lives of taxpayers and undermine their faith in our Nation’s system of tax administration.”

In addition to the prison term. U.S. District Court Judge Eduardo Robreno ordered Flowers to pay restitution to the credit card companies and pay a special assessment of $900. Flowers must also serve two years of supervised release. She was immediately taken in to custody.

The case was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Philadelphia Field Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Floyd J. Miller.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
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