Sanford Woman Sentenced To Seven Years For Stealing Tax Refunds And Personal Identity Information

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Derma Miller (34, Sanford) to seven years in federal prison for conspiracy to steal federal tax refunds and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $493,697, the proceeds of her criminal conduct. A federal jury found Miller guilty of these offenses on July 21, 2016.

According to court documents, Derma Miller and her mother, Virginia Miller, conspired to file false federal income tax returns using stolen personal identity information (PII), much of which belonged to individuals who were physically and mentally disabled, to obtain tax refunds from the Treasury Department. Virginia Miller prepared and filed the fraudulent returns using the stolen PII. She then directed the Internal Revenue Service to electronically deposit the fraudulent refunds into a bank account that Derma Miller controlled. The women withdrew the tax refunds in cash and made purchases for their own benefit and the benefit of others. During a two-year period, the Millers filed approximately 226 fraudulent tax returns and obtained $493,697 in fraudulent tax refunds from the Treasury Department.

Virginia Miller was previously sentenced to five years and one month in federal prison for her role in the offenses.

This case was investigated by the Department of the Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen L. Gable and Nathan W. Hill.