Union City woman sentenced in tax fraud case

Mon, 10/08/2007 - 8:18am
By: Ben Nelms

A Union City woman has been sentenced to more than two years in prison and ordered to pay more than $200,000 in restitution for providing fraudulent W-2 forms to file false tax returns.

Beginning in January 2002 and continuing through August 2004, Marla Nicole Wells,38, conspired with others to electronically file tax returns for approximately 59 individuals, claiming refunds to which they were not entitled. The total losses amounted to $222,597. A dozen more fraudulent returns claiming a total of $60,504 in refunds were filed but never paid, as the investigation had uncovered the scheme and the Internal Revenue Service was able to stop the refund payments, according to U.S. Attorney David Nahmias.

Wells enlisted the assistance of recruiters to find people who were willing to file fraudulent tax returns, paying the recruiters a small fee. Once found, Wells provided the “filer” with a false W-2 that she created listing employers for whom the individuals filing the fraudulent tax returns had never worked, including her own full-time employer, BellSouth, according to Nahmias. To ensure that Wells got her fees plus a portion of the fraudulent refund, which could be as much as half of the refund, she directed them to seek refund anticipation loans on behalf of the filer, and occasionally accompanied the filer to the bank to get the money or held their identification until they returned to her with the money, Nahmias said. The “filers” were often indigent or had very low income. On at least one occasion, Wells deposited the fraudulently obtained refund anticipation loan proceeds into her own bank account. She used some of her ill-gotten gains to purchase a luxury Mercedes automobile, said Nahmias.

Wells was convicted in federal court June 27 and sentenced Sept. 26 to two years, six months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $222,597.

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Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 4:48pm.

Put that scumbag away. Smiling

I love it when the good guys 'get it over' on the bad ones.

At least "We The People" get to sell the paid off Benz.

**** GIT REAL TOUGH ON CRIME ****

"That man was Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard".

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 6:11pm.

be able to pay the restitution?
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Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 7:24pm.

Oops! Shocked YEAH RIGHT! I just spit out my evening coffee.

**** GIT REAL TOUGH ON CRIME ****

"That man was Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard".

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 7:42pm.

That's OK just as long as it wasn't that expensive brew.

BTW, did you see Jane1's comment about the old man with his two young'ns at McDonald's? Its always been like that in Vegas. Old men are escorted by their 21 year old daughters to gamble. Right?
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 7:54pm.

Fred Thompson? Smiling

**** GIT REAL TOUGH ON CRIME ****

"That man was Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard".

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 8:06pm.

that's one example.
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