Alabama Return Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax Conspiracy Involving Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Yumeitrius Manuel, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced today in the Middle District of Alabama to 81 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns using stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

On Jan. 11, 2012, Manuel pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the government and aggravated identity theft. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 27, 2011, on charges of conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and false claims.

According to court documents, Manuel and his co-conspirator, Margaret Kirksey, each owned and operated a tax preparation business in Montgomery, located in the same physical place. The two fraudulently inflated tax refunds by placing false information on their clients’ tax returns. They also filed tax returns in the names and Social Security numbers of individuals who did not know about, and did not authorize, the filing of tax returns on their behalf. Both Manuel and Kirksey admitted that their respective crimes involved over $1 million in tax loss and more than 50 victims of identity theft. Kirksey also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft, and was sentenced on May 8, 2012, to 81 months in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller also ordered Manuel to pay $52,242 in restitution to the IRS.

Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, commended the investigative efforts of IRS ‑ Criminal Investigation special agents, who investigated the case, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Justin Gelfand and Jason Poole, who prosecuted the case.