Former KC Woman Sentenced for $454,000 Tax Scheme

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for making false statements in order to receive more than $454,000 in income tax refunds.

Chiquita Tyler, also known as Chiquita Robinson, 34, of Wylie, Texas, formerly of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Tyler to pay $343,889 in restitution.

On Oct. 29, 2014, Tyler pleaded guilty to making a false claim to a federal agency and to identity theft. Tyler admitted that she defrauded the federal government by preparing false income tax returns using false or stolen identity information in a scheme to receive $454,363 in refunds.

Between February 2010 and February 2011, Tyler prepared and filed false income tax returns using false and stolen Social Security numbers for approximately 70 individuals. Tyler, who told numerous individuals that she was a tax preparer to obtain their personal information, prepared and electronically filed false income tax returns through Turbo Tax. She created false wages, false education expenses, false addresses and false occupations for the false income taxes she prepared. Some tax returns contained false dependents. Tyler directed refunds from the false returns be deposited on a prepaid debit card mailed to Tyler at her home address and other locations in Kansas City, Mo.

The total amount Tyler claimed through the preparation of false returns and use of prepaid debit cards was $454,363. The actual loss for amounts fraudulently received by Tyler was $343,889 because some of the fraudulent claims were discovered by the Internal Revenue Service prior to payment.

According to court documents, Tyler has been charged and convicted numerous times, including convictions for assault, false ID, forgery, stealing, passing a bad check and larceny. She was on probation for one of two assault charges when she was convicted of forgery. Tyler currently has active bench warrants from Barton County, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Pansing Brown. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.