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Jackson, Miss. – Christopher Lashawn Chamberlin, 40, of DeKalb, Mississippi, was sentenced on July 20, 2017, on charges that he conspired to defraud the government by preparing and filing false tax returns using stolen identities provided to him by others, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Jerome McDuffie.
Chamberlin, who owned and operated C & T Tax Services in De Kalb, plead guilty on April 11, 2017, to conspiracy to defraud the government. U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee sentenced Chamberlin to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $11 million dollars in restitution to the government.
The investigation revealed that Chamberlin knowingly submitted false claims to the IRS by preparing and submitting false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, using stolen identities provided to him by a co-conspirator. The fraudulent returns would have directed the refunds to be deposited into the accounts of other co-conspirators, but IRS-Criminal Investigation was able to stop the payments before they were made, thanks to the swift action of the De Kalb, Mississippi Police Department in investigating and reporting the scheme.
Chamberlin also admitted to preparing tax returns for other individuals that included exaggerated losses which resulted in fraudulently increased refunds. He was ordered to pay restitution of over $11 million dollars for these fraudulently obtained refunds.
IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Jerome R. McDuffie, stated, “We are pleased with the sentence imposed by the court in this matter. We want the individuals who engage in these schemes to know that we will pursue prosecution and seek to hold them accountable for their corrupt endeavors to rob the nations’ taxpayers. IRS – Criminal Investigation is particularly appreciative of the partnership we enjoy with our local law enforcement agencies, and the Office of the United States Attorney in the investigation and prosecution of identity theft related tax crimes.”
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
