Three scamsters who pilfered more than $6 million of government cash—meant for pandemic relief among other uses—have been sentenced after a squad of feds brought them to justice for a monumental fraud and identity theft operation. The crooks exploited hundreds of stolen identities to set up fraudulent bank accounts and siphon off a hefty sum, including tax refunds, PPP loans, and state unemployment benefits, federal prosecutors described.
According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, the nefarious plot played out over just months, with the criminals showing no regard for their countless victims or the real purpose of these government funds—aid for Americans blindsided by COVID-19, "Their sentences reflect the scope of their conduct and our commitment to partner with federal, state, and local investigators to prosecute individuals who seek to exploit government programs," Buchanan stated in an announcement detailed by the Justice Department.
The trio composed of Edwin Owie, 63, Deborah McNeill, 55, and Osemwengie Imarhia, 43, collectively face over a decade behind bars, with hefty restitution costs each at $2,390,357.03. Owie, who took the brunt of the sentence with a bid of four years and eight months in prison, along with McNeill and Imarhia, faced justice for their conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft for which their prison stints reflect the severe damage their crimes inflicted.
Emphasizing the agencies' zero-tolerance stance towards such crimes, the IRS Criminal Investigation's Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman affirmed, "These convicted criminals caused great stress to their victims upending their lives when they stole their identities and utilized the stolen identities to fraudulently gain federal tax funds intended to aid taxpayers," Hardeman revealed, stressing that victims should not feel at fault and are not alone as the IRS-CI and its partners continue their vigilant efforts to crack down on identity thieves, especially those preying on vulnerable seniors, as recounted by the Justice Department.
The diligent work of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration alongside IRS-CI ultimately led to the sentencing, ensuring the fraudsters' days of exploiting the system are over. Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Justice Department Trial Attorneys worked in unison to close the book on a case that will hopefully deter like-minded swindlers and preserve the sanctity of public funds.
