ATLANTA GA April 27 2013-- Prosecutors say it's one of the biggest tax return fraud cases they've ever seen.The US Attorney's Office indicted Mauricio Warner on 50 charges, including wire fraud and identity theft. According to the indictment, Warner made more than six million dollars by filing fake tax returns.
Prosecutors say between January 2011 and April 2012, Warner filed more than 5,000 false returns. He allegedly operated through his tax business, Iron Strong, convincing people to turn over personal information through paper applications and a 1-800 hotline.
"[He] recruited people to give him their personal information: their social security numbers, their names, their dates of birth by advertising free government money or stimulus payments," said Asst. US Attorney Steve McClain.
Once he filed the return, prosecutors said, Warner would get $1000 back; returning half of the money to the client and allegedly keeping the other $500 for himself.
McClain said the US Attorney's Office is devoting more resources to fight the increasingly popular crime.
If convicted on all charges, Warner faces years in prison; each individual wire fraud charge carries a maximum 20 year sentence
Source-NBC11