Press Release
TWO JACKSONVILLE RESIDENTS CHARGED IN TAX PREPARATION FRAUD SCHEME
April 15, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael E. Yasofsky, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, announced that defendants Ossmann Desir, 46, and Marie Gella Alcide, 34, both residents of Jacksonville, Florida, were arrested and charged in a forty-five (45) count Indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false claims, misusing social security numbers, and aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment up to ten (10) years. Both defendants were arrested in Jacksonville, Florida earlier today and made their initial appearances before a Magistrate Judge in the Middle District of Florida. Desir was released on a $500,000 bond and Alcide's bond was set at $100,000.
According to the Indictment, the defendants obtained the personal identifying information of numerous individuals, including individuals who were deceased, and used this information to prepare and file fraudulent federal income tax returns in those individuals' names. To execute the scheme, the defendants created false Form 1040's and W-2 Forms. Thereafter, any refunds obtained through the scheme were deposited into bank accounts controlled by one or both of the defendants. In sum, from March 2002 through April 2005, the defendants fraudulently obtained approximately $400,000 through this scheme.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lois Foster-Steers.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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