Former East Bay Resident Sentenced For His Role In Tax Refund Scam

SAN FRANCISCO – Clexton Ward was sentenced last week to 24 months in prison for conspiring to file false claims, United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Jose M. Martinez, announced.

Ward pleaded guilty on August 22, 2012 to one count of Conspiracy to File False Claims. In pleading guilty, Ward acknowledged participating in a conspiracy to file false income tax returns electronically with the IRS. Ward admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, he gathered and supplied the names, personal identifying information and bank accounts that were used to file the false tax returns. Ward acknowledged that the false tax returns requested that the fraudulent refunds be deposited into various bank accounts controlled by either him or by his co-conspirators, and that he and his co-conspirators split the proceeds from the fraudulent refunds.

On April 17, 2012, Ward was charged with one count of Conspiracy to File False Claims. He is scheduled to begin his sentence on May 5, 2013.

Thomas Newman is the Assistant U.S. Attorney, who is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS, Criminal Investigation.