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May 20, 2016

Posted  May 20, 2016

An Oregon woman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for running a federal income tax refund fraud scheme, announced the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Danyelle Calcagno, 41, admitted to filing at least 224 false federal income tax returns that fraudulently claimed a total of $1,220,246 in tax refunds, generally between $3,500 and $7,000 per return. Calcagno filed the fraudulent tax returns using Internet access at Portland-area hotels to disguise the source of filing. Calcagno filed the false tax returns using the names and social security numbers of other individuals obtained directly and through recruiters, including Latisha L. Simmons, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona. Calcagno directed the IRS to deposit the income tax refunds into bank accounts and onto stored value debit cards that she could access and control in order to divide the proceeds of the fraud and make it more difficult for law enforcement to identify Calcagno as the filer of the false tax returns. DOJ

Tagged in: Tax Fraud,