Riviera Beach Resident Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Operating a Fraudulent Tax Preparation Business and Using Stolen Identities to File Taxes

After having been convicted at trial, Corry E. Pearson, of Riviera Beach, was sentenced yesterday to more than 10 years in prison for operating a fraudulent tax preparation business and submitting fraudulent tax returns using the stolen personal identification information of other individuals.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.

Pearson, 28, was sentenced by United States District Judge Beth Bloom to 124 months in prison.   On October 2, 2017, a federal jury in Miami convicted Pearson of 18 criminal charges, including: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A; money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i); and money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957.

            Evidence presented at trial and sentencing established that, from 2011 through 2013, Pearson and his accomplices filed at least 770 fraudulent tax returns in the names of various people. The conspirators filed many of these returns using two tax preparation businesses in West Palm Beach, Florida, that they controlled, Tax King, Inc. and NPN Multiservices.  In addition, the conspirators filed other returns in a manner that made it appear as if the taxpayers had filed the returns themselves, without using a tax preparation business.  In some cases, the conspirators filed Federal income tax returns in the names of people who were actually victims of identity theft. The conspirators also listed stolen identities as tax preparers on fraudulent tax returns, making it appear that the fraud had been perpetrated by people who were actually victims of the identity theft.  In total, the returns filed by the conspirators claimed approximately $5,173,274 in fraudulent refunds.  Pearson also engaged in financial transactions with the proceeds of the fraud to disguise his control over the proceeds.

Pearson’s co-defendant, Stephane Cindy Anor, a/k/a “Stephanie Anor, 28, of West Palm Beach, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.  Anor worked as a tax preparer at Tax King.

In a related case, Irene Wilson, 52, of Riviera Beach, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by a false claim and was sentenced to 3 years of probation. Wilson assisted Pearson to file a fraudulent return and to disguise Pearson’s control of those proceeds.

A restitution hearing has been scheduled for July 13, 2018.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI in this matter.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Osborne and Roger Stefin.

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