Tax Preparers Sentenced For Stealing And Selling Identities Of More Than 300 Minors

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The owners and operators of NBP Multiservices (NBP), a tax preparation business in Cranston, R.I., have been sentenced to federal prison for stealing personal identifying information of more than 300 minors named as dependents on legitimate tax returns their company prepared and then selling the information to other tax filers for use on their tax returns in order to increase tax refunds, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation; and Ted A. Arruda,  Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service.

Tashia Bodden, 37, of Cranston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi to 36 months in federal prison to be followed by 2 years supervised release; Evelyn Nunez, 40, of Providence, was sentenced on March 18, 2015, by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by 2 years supervised release. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,402, 560 (joint and several).

The defendants, who were arrested in September 2014 by agents from IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2014, to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, the Scheme Development Center, a division of the IRS, conducted an analysis of tax returns prepared by individuals working at NBP and identified questionable use of children being claimed as dependents. The use of the dependents led to the refunding by the IRS of hundreds of thousands of dollars under the Earned Income Credit available to low income taxpayers.

According to court records and information presented to the court, an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that between January 2008 and February 2012, taxpayers purchased false dependents for approximately $600 - $700 per dependent. The investigation determined that the defendants falsely claimed children as foster children, nieces and nephews of the taxpayers when, in reality, they had no relation to the taxpayer.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.

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