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Press Release

Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than Seven Years For Tax Fraud And Identity Theft Conspiracy

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Bobby Muhammad to seven years and ten months in federal prison for theft of government property and identity theft stemming from his involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) conspiracy.  The Court also ordered him to pay $650,631 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury, jointly and severally with his co-conspirator, Tiffani Pye Williams. Muhammad pleaded guilty on October 26, 2015.

According to court documents, from December 2011 through October 2015, Muhammad participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS.  He, along with others, electronically filed fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities.  The fraudulently obtained tax refunds were wired from the IRS to reloadable debit cards. Muhammad and others then used these debit cards at various ATMs.

Investigators determined that Muhammad and his conspirators had filed fraudulent federal income tax returns using the stolen identities of more than 400 individuals to make claims for refunds totaling approximately $3,089,219, and had received approximately $650,631 in fraudulently obtained refunds.

Williams previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced for her role in this scheme.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Updated February 4, 2016

Topics
Financial Fraud
Identity Theft
StopFraud
Tax