Oakley Resident Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Conspiracy To File False Federal Tax Returns

OAKLAND – Yvonne Palmore was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $366,269.50 in restitution for conspiring to file false federal tax returns, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf.  The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge, following the entry of Palmore’s guilty plea to the charge.

Palmore, 53, of Oakley, Calif., pleaded guilty on October 5, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to file false claims.  According to her plea agreement, Palmore admitted she was involved in filing 131 false federal income tax returns using the names and identities of individuals without their knowledge or consent.  Palmore inserted account depository numbers on the tax returns that directed the IRS to pay refunds into bank accounts that she controlled. Palmore attempted to obtain refunds of $1,238,346. The IRS paid $366,269.50.  Some of the depository accounts were linked to pre-paid debit cards that Palmore used to purchase postal money orders that she used for her own personal use.   

A federal grand jury indicted Palmore on November 10, 2016, charging her with conspiracy to file false claims, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 286; filing false claims, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 287; theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641; and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A.  Pursuant to her plea agreement, Palmore pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count and the remaining counts were dismissed. 

In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also sentenced the defendant to a 3-year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on June 1, 2018.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Stier is prosecuting the case.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS-CI.