Former IRS Employees Plead Guilty to Unemployment Benefits Fraud

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that six former employees of the Internal Revenue Service have pleaded guilty to receiving unemployment benefits while they worked at the agency.

Michelle Glavin, 32, and Christopher Castillo, 34, both of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty today in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to the charge contained in a Dec. 10, 2013 federal indictment. Co-defendants Jesse Love, 61, and Tiffani Harding, 27, both of Kansas City, Mo., Shalonda Bradley, 41, of Grandview, Mo., and Berneta Weedin, 59, of Platte Woods, Mo., pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

By pleading guilty, each of the defendants admitted they claimed unemployment benefits while they were employed by the IRS. The defendants are no longer employed at the IRS.

Each of the defendants pleaded guilty to stealing government property by fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled. Under the terms of their plea agreements, the defendants must pay restitution for the amount of benefits illegally received.

Glavin fraudulently obtained $5,144 in Missouri benefits, plus $16,204 in federal benefits while employed at the IRS, for a total of $21,348.

Castillo fraudulently obtained $6,365 in Missouri benefits and $4,727.80 in federal benefits while working at the IRS, for a total of $11,093.

Love fraudulently obtained $8,214 in Missouri benefits and$1,404 in federal benefits while working at the IRS, for a total of $9,618.

Harding fraudulently obtained $2,664 in Missouri benefits, plus $8,650 in federal benefits while employed at the IRS, for a total of $11,315.

Bradley fraudulently obtained $6,279 in Missouri benefits, plus $250 in federal benefits while employed at the IRS, for a total of $6,529.

Weedin fraudulently obtained $3,014 in Missouri benefits, plus $3,113 in federal benefits while employed at the IRS, for a total of $6,127.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Pansing Brown. It was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Employment Security.