Washington, D.C. - United States Attorney Roscoe C. Howard, Jr. and Vicki S. Duane, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, announced that Mark T. Purvis, 48, of Baltimore, Maryland, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of filing false individual income tax returns in a fraudulent attempt to obtain tax refunds. Specifically, the grand jury indicted Purvis on 10 counts of filing false and fictitious claims with the IRS, each which carries a statutory prison term of 5 years. He will be arraigned on the charges later this month.

The investigation revealed that Purvis filed false tax returns using the names and social security numbers of other persons without the knowledge of those individuals. He then allegedly caused or attempted to cause the tax refund checks to be mailed to his residence in the District of Columbia. He also allegedly filed false personal tax returns misrepresenting his employment and income in an attempt to receive refunds. From 1992 to 1999, the IRS issued Purvis tax refunds of more than $25,000 of the $92,000 in fraud induced refunds that were allegedly claimed by him. The remaining amounts were frozen by the IRS.

The scheme unraveled when the IRS Philadelphia Service Center became suspicious of the number of tax returns bearing the same address. The ensuing criminal investigation and resulting indictment then followed.

In announcing today's indictment, U.S. Attorney Howard and Special Agent in Charge Duane praised the investigative efforts of IRS Special Agent Michael O'Hanlon. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. Burke, Jr. who is handling the prosecution, and USAO support staff members Teesha Tobias and Shavonne Jennings.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.