Buffalo Man Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison for Identity Theft, SSN Misuse, and Tax Refund Fraud

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York:

BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Clifton Jackson, 46, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted following a jury trial of 58 felony counts including conspiracy to unlawfully use Social Security numbers (SSNs), conspiracy for the filing of false tax returns, filing false tax returns, aggravated identity theft, SSN misuse and theft of government property, was sentenced to 140 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Geoffrey L. Crawford.

“With this ‘get rich quick’ scheme, this defendant sought to victimize both the Government and multiple individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Thanks to the efforts of our federal partners, the defendant’s scheme came to a halt and he will now spend the next 11 years behind bars for his actions. Let this case also serve as a reminder to the public that the Government does not give money away to individuals for providing simple information such as name and date of birth.”

IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen said: “Mr. Jackson’s 140-month prison sentence demonstrates the severe consequences of committing tax fraud using stolen identities. This investigation provides another illustration of the Government’s commitment to fighting this problem.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trini E. Ross and John E. Rogowski, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant devised a scheme to defraud individuals and the U.S. Government by obtaining and using the names, SSNs, and dates of birth issued to over 80 individuals. Jackson then used that information to file fraudulent tax returns for the tax year 2011with the IRS.

The defendant obtained the information by telling individuals that if they provided names, SSNs, and dates of birth, they could receive money from the Government. Jackson also recruited other individuals to provide additional names, SSNs, and dates of birth.

The Government presented more than 60 witnesses during the trial. These witnesses included over 20 individuals who were victimized by the defendant. Over the duration of the scheme, Jackson attempted to defraud the IRS of more than $550,000.

Jackson is currently serving a 10-year state sentenced in Ohio for a drug conviction. Three other defendants were charged and convicted in this case.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Michael Rivera, and the United States Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge, Boston Division.

BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Clifton Jackson, 46, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted following a jury trial of 58 felony counts including conspiracy to unlawfully use Social Security numbers (SSNs), conspiracy for the filing of false tax returns, filing false tax returns, aggravated identity theft, SSN misuse and theft of government property, was sentenced to 140 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Geoffrey L. Crawford.

“With this ‘get rich quick’ scheme, this defendant sought to victimize both the Government and multiple individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Thanks to the efforts of our federal partners, the defendant’s scheme came to a halt and he will now spend the next 11 years behind bars for his actions. Let this case also serve as a reminder to the public that the Government does not give money away to individuals for providing simple information such as name and date of birth.”

IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen said: “Mr. Jackson’s 140-month prison sentence demonstrates the severe consequences of committing tax fraud using stolen identities. This investigation provides another illustration of the Government’s commitment to fighting this problem.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trini E. Ross and John E. Rogowski, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant devised a scheme to defraud individuals and the U.S. Government by obtaining and using the names, SSNs, and dates of birth issued to over 80 individuals. Jackson then used that information to file fraudulent tax returns for the tax year 2011with the IRS.

The defendant obtained the information by telling individuals that if they provided names, SSNs, and dates of birth, they could receive money from the Government. Jackson also recruited other individuals to provide additional names, SSNs, and dates of birth.

The Government presented more than 60 witnesses during the trial. These witnesses included over 20 individuals who were victimized by the defendant. Over the duration of the scheme, Jackson attempted to defraud the IRS of more than $550,000.

Jackson is currently serving a 10-year state sentenced in Ohio for a drug conviction. Three other defendants were charged and convicted in this case.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Michael Rivera, and the United States Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge, Boston Division.