JEFFERSON CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Georgia man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for using stolen identities to file fraudulent state and federal income tax returns.

Jalen Ortez Gude, 22, of Hillsboro, Ga., was charged in an 11-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on June 10, 2015. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following Gude’s initial court appearance.

The federal indictment alleges that, between January 2014 and March 13, 2015, Gude used the identity information of others (including their names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth) to file fraudulent tax returns and receive tax refunds from both the federal government and the state of Missouri. Gude allegedly opened bank accounts in the names of his identity theft victims so that the IRS and the Missouri Department of Revenue would transfer the refunds to bank accounts he controlled. This process permitted Gude to remain anonymous, the indictment says, and to conduct his scheme, in part, from outside Missouri.

Gude also allegedly used the stolen identity information to submit fraudulent online credit applications at banks and credit card companies.

The federal indictment charges Gude with seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri Department of Revenue—Compliance and Investigation Bureau and the Missouri Department of Revenue—Criminal Investigation Bureau.