FORMER BAIL BONDSMAN ALLEGEDLY STOLE IDENTIES FOR TAX REFUND FRAUD SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Former Bail Bondsman Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme
Roderick Neal, of Dothan, Alabama, was indicted for stolen identity refund fraud crimes, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today following the unsealing of the indictment.  Neal was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  

According to the indictment, Neal worked as a bail bondsman in Dothan, and stole personal identifying information.  Neal provided this information to another individual who, in turn, provided the stolen identities to Ivory Bolen, and she used those identities to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claiming refunds.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Neal faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy, a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft counts.

This case was investigated by special agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation.  Trial Attorneys Charles Edgar and Jason Poole of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, in particular Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown.