Woman Who Committed Wire Fraud Sentenced in Federal Court

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Virginia woman, who conspired with others to commit wire fraud, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Deborah Diana Lawson, 60, of Raven, Va., previously to a one count Information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Today in District Court, Lawson was sentenced to probation for a term of three years and ordered to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $7,712.

According to evidence presented by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer, in or around March 2015 Lawson's co-conspirator caused a fraudulent tax return refund to be sent via wire to Lawson’s bank account in Russell County, Virginia. Lawson caused proceeds of the fraudulent tax return refund to be sent via wire transfer from the Western District of Virginia to an account in Buffalo, New York.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Assistant United Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.