Skip to main content
Press Release

Broward County Resident Sentenced to 4 1/2 Years in Prison for Supplying Personal Identifying Information in a Stolen Identity Tax Fraud Scheme

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

Bryan Sainte-Rose, 39 of Plantation, Florida, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for supplying personal identifying information (PII) to other individuals who were involved in a stolen identity tax fraud scheme. 

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and William Hernandez, Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department (NMBPD), made the announcement.

Sainte-Rose previously pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1029(a)(3) and 2, and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1) and 2. 

According to court documents, law enforcement learned that an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) was used to file 345 tax returns from January 23, 2014 through February 26, 2014 from an address in North Miami, Florida requesting approximately $1,151,482 in tax refunds. The EFIN was assigned to “L.W.,” who incorporated a business called Lil Mama Tax Services. These tax returns contained numerous indicators of identity theft tax fraud, including repeat addresses, the use of deceased or incarcerated individuals, taxpayers under the age of eighteen, and numerous repeated occupations.

On June 11, 2014, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the address used to file the returns. Inside the premises was an office containing evidence indicative of tax fraud: printers, tax documents, notepads containing lists of personal identifying information or “PII” (including the Social Security numbers of more than 15 individuals), stacks of pre-paid debit cards with account numbers, laminate material used for making false identification cards, and two fraudulent State of Florida driver's licenses.  On a sheet of paper was EFIN information used to file income taxes, including taxes filed by Lil Mama Tax Services.  Also found at the location was electronic equipment used to access the Internet.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, FBI and NMBPD.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John R. Byrne.

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.

Updated February 4, 2016

Topic
Tax