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Press Release

Florida Correctional Officer Sentenced To Prison For Tax Fraud Using Inmates’ Identities

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Jerry St. Fleur (26, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered him to forfeit $61,704, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. He pleaded guilty on July 9, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than January 2011, and continuing until May 2014, St. Fleur, in his capacity as a correctional officer at the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility, unlawfully accessed and stole the personal identifying information (PII) of former and current inmates within the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC).  St. Fleur would “screen scrape” (cut and paste) inmates’ PII, without their knowledge or permission, from FDOC databases and then use that information to file false tax returns. As part of this scheme, St. Fleur filed approximately 182 fraudulent income tax returns. The government estimates that the total amount of fraudulent refunds requested from these returns was more than $500,000.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.

Updated January 26, 2015