Sounds like a cheap lawyer trick. If they're bored they could just ride up and down any filthy street this city created and and find three meth labs, eight crack houses and twelve whores. FUNNY how that old civil rights shit only crops up when they are paid for it TO. OR um NOT TO> (jose tome)
Anyway, glad they caught these thieves but tired of jane and her krewe of stalkers and losers
(and murderers hey paul)
And yknow it IS safer than losing their side pay .... And scott and that broad sound like liars.
Authorities have arrested 49 people they say stole identities and used them to obtain millions in fraudulent tax refunds.
Operation Rainmaker, a yearlong effort by local and federal law enforcement, netted more than $130 million in fraudulent refunds, cash, jewelry, cars and entertainment systems, officials said at a Friday news conference.
Tampa police Chief Jane Castor said the scheme is so prevalent that investigators fear they've "only reached the tip of the iceberg."
According to court records, here's how it works:
A suspect obtains someone's name, Social Security number and date of birth through fraudulent means. After checking to make sure the Social Security number has not been used to file a tax return, the person files online, through companies such as Turbo Tax. That gives him the option to receive the refund on a prepaid debit card, treasury check or direct deposit.
Officials say the crime nets perpetrators thousands of dollars, enough for luxury vehicles and other extravagant purchases. Ten of the 19 vehicles confiscated recently served as the backdrop for the news conference. Included in the bunch was a pristine white Mercedes-Benz CL550.
It is not a victimless crime.
Tampa police Lt. Mark Scott tried to file his tax return via Turbo Tax online this year, only to have his claim rejected.
"It said something was wrong with my Social Security number," he said at the news conference, which included officials from the U.S. Secret Service, Tampa police, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Scott soon found out that someone had filed for a tax return in his name and received a refund. When he tried to get access to his tax information to help investigators, the IRS told him it could not give out that information.
Castor said tax laws designed to protect citizens hinder local law enforcement agencies from bringing tax thieves to justice.
"It felt like I was victimized twice, once in the identity theft and again by the government," Scott said.
The Secret Service dubbed the project Operation Rainmaker, named after a hotel party that Tampa narcotics officers broke up where several people were caught filing fake tax returns and expecting the money to "rain down" on them.
Detective Sharla Canfield said Tampa police began discovering people with prepaid debit cards in other people's names, ledgers and computers during routine traffic stops.
"It upsets me," Canfield said. "I get frustrated because I work for a living and these people are driving better cars and living in nicer houses and they've never worked."
Barney Morris, assistant inspector in charge at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said that nearly 10,000 fraudulent refunds have been intercepted since the start of the operation. Police have recovered nearly $10 million in tax refund debit cards in the past six months. "The average value of the refund is usually $5,000," Morris said.
Suspects have the refunds mailed to vacant homes, co-conspirators and even the actual addresses of the victim.
"They sometimes watch the victim and know what time the mail comes and intercept the card before the victim even knows what's happened," Morris said.
Sometimes things get violent.
Mail carriers have been robbed at gunpoint by people asking for prepaid debit cards issued by the Green Dot corporation. A carrier in Miami was shot and killed after a robber asked for "Green Dot" cards, Morris said.
Castor said many of the suspects have admitted to committing the fraud because they didn't think it was a crime. Word got around that police weren't even investigating cases.
She said don't believe the rumors.
"Law enforcement is investigating and the only thing raining down on these suspects is justice," she said.
[Last modified: Sep 02, 2011 03:12 PM]
Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2011 St. Petersburg Times
Click here to post a comment
Viewing 1 - 11 of 11 comments
Oldest First Newest First Top Rated
• luvstpete Sep 2, 2011 12:53 PM About 4 hours ago
Good job LEOs! How could anyone possibly believe it was not a crime? It is amazing how many stupid people there are.
Reply Report Abuse 0 7
o MAREFID Sep 2, 2011 2:27 PM About 2 hours ago
or how smart???? Why work when you can live the good life on everyone elses dime!!!!!
Reply Report Abuse 0 1
• BubbaJoe Sep 2, 2011 1:17 PM About 3 hours ago
I have a brilliant idea... make TurboTax and the other tax filing companies stop issuing refunds to prepaid debit cards. That sounds like a perfect scam opportunity to me. Also, if you can't prove that the name on the return matches the bank account, then block the direct deposit too! And what's the deal with Green Dot cards? YO YO YO, gimme me GREEN DOT, bee-yach!
Reply Report Abuse 0 5
o luvstpete Sep 2, 2011 1:29 PM About 3 hours ago
It was IRS idea to issue debit cards so people without a bank account could get refunds in a timely manner. Green Dot cards are the same as debit cards. The safest way to receive a refund is by direct deposit. It is also the fasted way to receive a refund.
Reply Report Abuse 0 2
• consciousness Sep 2, 2011 1:45 PM About 3 hours ago
Mere pennies in comparison to what most large corporations steal in taxes every day. We need tax reform so that the larger companies pay a share along with the wealthiest. When the rich say they don't pay enough in taxes then you know the tax codes are in dire need of an overhaul.
Reply Report Abuse 2 5
o flrxfire Sep 2, 2011 1:53 PM About 3 hours ago
Or in Medicare fraud. Right, Scottie?
Reply Report Abuse 0 3
o EinT Sep 2, 2011 2:05 PM About 2 hours ago
Nothing is stopping "the rich" (Warren Buffett) from paying more in taxes if they want to. The IRS won't turn it away.
Reply Report Abuse 1 2
o WTFIUWSPT Sep 2, 2011 4:13 PM Less than a minute ago
google 25 CEOs who make more SALARY money than their theft dom pays in taxes each year.....
Reply
Report Abuse
• LePetomane Sep 2, 2011 2:22 PM About 2 hours ago
"Law enforcement is investigating and the only thing raining down on these suspects is justice,"
...nowadays that means a slap on the wrist.
Reply Report Abuse 0 0
• MAREFID Sep 2, 2011 2:25 PM About 2 hours ago
THIS PISSES ME OFF! SO SICK OF HEARING HOW OUR MONEY IS WASTED /STOLEN/ GIVEN AWAY. FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX FLAT TAX
THEN EVERYONE PAYS THEIR FAIR SHARE!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY WON'T THEY DO IT? TOO MANY LOOPHOLES. CALL YOUR REPS NOW
Reply Report Abuse 1 3
• repete Sep 2, 2011 2:31 PM About 2 hours ago
NO COMMIT!!!!!!!!
Reply Report Abuse 0 0
• bfisher Sep 2, 2011 3:06 PM About 1 hour ago
Politicians have a lot of nerve asking us for MORE Tax dollars. Billions wasted in bank bailouts, Billions wasted in stupid wars, Billions wasted in fraud associated with Defense Contracts in Iraq, BILLIONS wasted in aid to Pakistan and other countries that hate us, BILLIONS wasted in entitlement programs, and now BILLIONS in tax refunds to people who dont even have jobs nor pay any taxes?
Reply Report Abuse 0 3
• bfisher Sep 2, 2011 3:07 PM About 1 hour ago
honestly, if you vote for a Democrat or a Republican that favors increasing taxes, you are a complete DUMMY. YOURE A DUMMY if you think these clowns in washingon dc are taking care of your hard earned money
Reply Report Abuse 2 1
• bfisher Sep 2, 2011 3:10 PM About 1 hour ago
the only people that don't have bank accounts are criminals and homeless people. and neither of them deserve a tax refund becasue they aren't paying any taxes to earn a refunded.
Reply Report Abuse 2 1
• Floridagirl26 Sep 2, 2011 3:52 PM About 1 hour ago
So when is the auction? I have legit money and would like to get my hands on that CL550 at auction prices! LOL
Reply Report Abuse 0 1
o WTFIUWSPT Sep 2, 2011 4:14 PM Less than a minute ago
flgirl, you talkin real cash moneee?? )lols)
Reply
Report Abuse
• GTR5 Sep 2, 2011 4:03 PM About 2 minutes ago
I had my SSAN and identity stolen and the Tampa Police Dept, local ICE, etc, refuse to take my complaint. And recently TBO deleted my comments on this same subject. I still have the same problems that this LEO has.
Reply Report Abuse 0 0
o WTFIUWSPT Sep 2, 2011 4:15 PM Less than a minute ago
open a blog gtr5, these boards aer RUN by cops and firemn and their shrews ...
Reply
Report Abuse
• WTFIUWSPT Sep 2, 2011 4:10 PM Less than a minute ago
WHATEVER JANE CASTOR !!!!!! You hide drug houses and lie about other things.. you probably have apurse full of green dot cards which ... wth is that? A mailman KILLED over them? Federal !!! Where is THE FBI????Sounds like BS. Um. I hope this isn't some ploy for gendarmes to stick their nose up the ●●● of people with help from the already NSA happy Robert O'Neill whose favorite is to come after people for tax reasons and THEN turn them to his criminal krewe out of their desperation OR already criminal bent. Anyway, Officer Scott, that's HILARIOUS. All you had to do was go to local office and present ID. Or ask det. hank duran to do so for you... NOW you know how WE feel when we call you "finest and bravest" out here (LOL) and you do nothing but guard meth houses, laugh and ignore us and refuse to write reports for STOLEN ANIMALS. Tiring. Jane, please for god's sake put the photo ops on hold and stop prevaricating
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment