Eleven charged with identity theft in tax refund scheme

Eleven charged with identity theft in tax refund scheme

Eleven South Florida residents have been indicted in an identity theft and tax refund fraud scheme worth an estimated $34 million, according to U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer.

The 43-count indictment charged Henry Dorvil, 35, of Hollywood; Dukens Eleazard, 33, of Pembroke Pines; Jesse Lamar Harrell, 26, of Miramar; Ruth Cartwright, 30, formerly of Plantation; John Similien, 24, of Plantation; and Marc Leroy Saint Juste, 26, of Tamarac.

Also indicted were: Herve Wilmore Jr., 29, of Aventura; Marie Eleazard, 32, of Miami; Luckner St Fleur, 32, of Miami; Miguel Patterson, 35, of Miami; and Brandon Johnson, 29, of Miami Gardens.

Dorvil, Harrell, Patterson, Johnson and Saint Juste made their first appearances in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Cartwright was arrested in Georgia. Wilmore, both Eleazards, St Fleur and Similien remain at large, prosecutors said.

Between January 2009 and March 2012, the suspects filed with the IRS approximately 6,961 federal income tax returns, requesting refunds totaling approximately $34,096,321. Of the 6,961 filed tax returns, 2,763 used the identities of dead people, the indictment stated.
If convicted, the suspects face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, five years for the conspiracy count, and two years for aggravated identity theft.

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