Two Pensacola Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax Refund Fraud and Identity Theft Scheme

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Andrey C. Cook, 34, and Richard J. Beverly II, 25, both of Pensacola, were sentenced to federal prison today by United States Senior District Court Judge Lacey Collier on charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.  The sentence was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Cook, who worked in a group home for disabled patients, stole the personal identification information of the patients and gave it to Beverly in August 2013 for use in filing fraudulent tax returns.  In exchange, Beverly agreed to give Cook a percentage of the refunds that were issued as a result of the fraudulent tax returns.  Between 2012 and 2014, Beverly used the stolen identities of deceased persons, severely disabled people, and others, in an attempt to steal more than $265,000 from the United States Treasury, through the filing of at least 40 fraudulent tax returns.

Cook was sentenced to 12 months in prison and Beverly was sentenced to 102 months in prison.  Beverly was also ordered to pay $87,783.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  Cook was ordered to pay $10,682.00 in restitution.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Kim.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States.  To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.