Agu and Kinyua are each charged, in separate complaints, with identity theft, theft of government funds and aiding and abetting. A separate complaint charges Muya and Amont with theft of government funds and aiding and abetting.
According to the affidavits filed with the complaints, in recent years, identification theft schemes have become more sophisticated, more prevalent and increasingly more popular with criminals as a way to obtain illegal funds with little risk of detection or prosecution. Identification theft schemes often involve a network of individuals needed to complete different stages or aspects of the scheme. Theaffidavits further note that often perpetrators of identity theft cases are securing false identities, filing false tax returns, securing false tax refunds and moving on within days or weeks. Many of the ID theft schemes involve foreign nationals operating within and outside of the U.S, according to the affidavits.
According to the affidavits filed with the complaints, in recent years, identification theft schemes have become more sophisticated, more prevalent and increasingly more popular with criminals as a way to obtain illegal funds with little risk of detection or prosecution. Identification theft schemes often involve a network of individuals needed to complete different stages or aspects of the scheme. Theaffidavits further note that often perpetrators of identity theft cases are securing false identities, filing false tax returns, securing false tax refunds and moving on within days or weeks. Many of the ID theft schemes involve foreign nationals operating within and outside of the U.S, according to the affidavits.
The complaints outline the fencing of stolen IRS refund checks, including a United States Treasury check for an IRS refund in the amount of almost $600,000 that was were obtained using stolen identification information. The defendants worked as brokers or check cashers –cashing these checks for a percent of their face value.
A federal criminal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment. The penalty, upon conviction, for the charged offense of identity theft is 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty, upon conviction, for the charged offense of theft of government funds is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
IRS-CI is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Stokes is in charge of the prosecution.
- United States Department of Justice
