Alabama Residents Indicted For Tax Refund Fraud

Montgomery, Alabama - Several residents of Montgomery, Ala., were indicted by a federal grand jury for their involvement in a conspiracy to receive fraudulent tax refunds into their bank accounts, announced George L. Beck, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Tarrish Tellis, Bobby Joe Means, Delancy Tolliver, Tracey Montgomery, and Glenn Powell, Jr. were indicted on various charges, including conspiracy and theft of government money. Tarrish Tellis was also indicted on five counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, Tarrish Tellis obtained the means of identification of individuals, including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for the purpose of filing false federal income tax returns. Bobby Joe Means, Delancy Tolliver, Tracey Montgomery, and Glenn Powell, Jr. provided Tellis with bank account numbers that were to receive the false federal income tax refunds. Tellis would then use the bank account numbers and means of identification to cause to be prepared and filed false federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. After the false refunds were deposited, Means, Tolliver, Montgomery, and Powell would withdraw the funds. The bank accounts received at least $500,000 in false tax 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, each of the Defendants face a maximum potential sentence of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years in prison on each theft of government funds charges. Tellis also faces a mandatory two-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts. They will also be subject to fines and mandatory restitution if convicted.

This case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Charles M. Edgar Jr., Michael Boteler, and Greg Bailey of the Justice Department's Tax Division are prosecuting the case, with the assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama and, in particular, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown.

PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: usaalm.press@usdoj.gov
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617