Press Release
Tampa Man Sentenced for Role in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Antwan Miller to three years and six months in federal prison for theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. He had pleaded guilty on October 5, 2017.
According to court documents, between January 2012 and September 2014, Miller was involved in a scheme to file false and fraudulent income tax returns with the IRS in order to generate the deposit of large refunds onto debit cards that he possessed and controlled. The investigation revealed that the IRS had received fraudulent tax returns in the names of many victim-taxpayers that resulted in the delivery of $389,479.07 in fraudulent income tax refunds to debit cards controlled by Miller and his co-conspirators. They then withdrew the money from ATMs and the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Several of Miller’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to similar charges and have been sentenced.
This case was investigated by the IRS - Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Updated June 11, 2018
Topics
Financial Fraud
Identity Theft
Tax
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