Broward Resident Convicted for his Involvement in Extensive Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

After a seven-day trial, a federal jury yesterday convicted Vory V. Copeland, 40, of Miramar, Florida, for his involvement in a tax refund fraud scheme that resulted in the filing of over 150 fraudulent tax returns and the cashing of numerous fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

As shown at trial, between January 2010 and April 2010, Copeland and his co-conspirators filed numerous fraudulent tax returns, including tax returns based on stolen personal identification information, and cashed many of the resulting fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks at a Wachovia bank in Miami Gardens, Florida. Victims testified at trial that they were not aware that tax returns had been filed by the defendant on their behalf, using their personal information, and that they had not authorized the defendant nor his co-conspirators to file the fraudulent tax returns or cash the resulting tax refund checks.

At sentencing, which is currently set for April 29, 2015, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard, Copeland faces a maximum term of 86 years in prison.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CI and USSS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Gonsoulin and John Byrne.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.