Orlando Woman Sentenced To Three Years In Federal Prison For Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Shantrell Sharae Stephenson to three years in federal prison for stolen identity refund fraud. She was also ordered to pay $92,532 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. She pleaded guilty on August 26, 2015. 

According to court documents, Lori Ann Dilworth, a contract employee who worked in the inmate records section at the Orange County Jail, stole the personal identification information of 36 inmates and provided that information to Stephenson and others to use to file false tax returns. Another co-conspirator, Richard Damarick Mitchell, served as an intermediary between Dilworth and Stephenson. In total, more than $100,000 in fraudulent tax returns were filed with the IRS as part of the conspiracy.

Mitchell and Dilworth were also prosecuted for their roles in this conspiracy. On October 26, 2015, Mitchell was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison. Dilworth was sentenced to two years and one month in federal prison on November 2, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.