June 16, 2016

A Pembroke Pines, Florida couple was sentenced to prison for their role in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, announced the Justice Department’s Tax Division. According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, between July 2009 and August 2014, Walther Wilson Godfrey, Rhonda Perry Gittens and others conspired to defraud the United States by filing false federal income tax returns using stolen identities. Gittens owned and operated 2G, Inc., a tax return preparation business, and G&G Check Cashing Inc., a check cashing business, both of which were located in Pembroke Pines. Godfrey and Gittens obtained the personal identification information of actual individuals, some deceased, including names, social security numbers, addresses and dates of birth, without the individuals’ authorization, to prepare and file false income tax refund claims for the years 2009 through 2011. Judge Bloom also ordered Godfrey and Gittens to pay $792,442 in restitution to the IRS. DOJ

Tagged in: Tax Fraud,