Skip to main content
Press Release

Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Scheme to Defraud the IRS

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas

DALLAS — Crystal Burrows appeared in federal court this afternoon and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney to one count of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Burrows faces a maximum statutory penalty of twenty years in federal prison, and a $250,000 fine. She could also be ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing will be set at a later date.

According to documents filed in her case, beginning in 2014, Borrows knowingly and intentionally participated in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). More specifically, Burrows electronically filed tax returns for the tax year 2013 with her EFIN, and for tax years 2014 and 2015 with EFINs of coconspirators, under taxpayers’ names and social security numbers without the taxpayers’ knowledge or consent. In total, Burrows prepared and filed at least 22 fraudulent tax returns using stolen identifying information of tax payers. Burrows also used two stolen social security numbers to establish numerous credit card accounts, a car loan, store accounts, and care credit accounts typically used for medical procedures.

Burrows stipulates that her conduct resulted in at least a $692,184 loss.

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wirmani is in charge of the prosecution.

# # #

Updated January 31, 2017

Topic
Tax