October 31, 2014

Miami-Dade Resident Convicted in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announce that Wisly Toussaint, of Miami, Florida, was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(b), two counts of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a), and five counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2015 before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard. Toussaint faces a maximum term of 25 years in prison for the conspiracy and access device charges, and at least one mandatory term of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term in prison, for the aggravated identity theft charges.

According to evidence presented during the five-day trial, Toussaint possessed and trafficked in personal identifying information (PII), that is names, dates of birth and social security numbers, stolen from a mental health facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In October of 2013, Toussaint was approached by two individuals cooperating with law enforcement and agreed to sell the cooperators the stolen PII, which Toussaint stated he obtained from a partner in Sarasota, Florida. Toussaint later sold the cooperators hundreds of identities stolen from the mental health facility in two separately recorded meetings.

Toussaint was also recorded discussing his plans to make $50,000 during the first week of the 2014 tax filing year and the ability to also file for unemployment compensation with the stolen identities.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI, and ICE-HSI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank R. Maderal.

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 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 www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.