RICHMOND, Va. – A Haitian national was sentenced today to seven years in prison for filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen personal identifying information from hundreds of individuals around the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Jimmy Lord Calixte, 37, participated in a Miami-based stolen identity refund fraud scheme. He and three co-conspirators traveled repeatedly to Richmond in the early part of 2012 and used stolen personal identifying information to file hundreds of fraudulent tax returns, utilizing online tax preparation programs and seeking over $2 million in fraudulent refunds. Calixte and his accomplices claimed significant refunds on those fraudulent returns, and requested that those refunds be placed on pre-paid debit cards, which were later mailed to Richmond addresses selected by the conspirators. The other co-conspirators also took steps to obstruct the investigation by providing them with false information and refusing to testify before a grand jury. The other co-conspirators have been sentenced as follows:
Name, Age | Hometown | Convictions | Sentence |
Ramoth Jean, 37 | Miami, Florida | Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft; Contempt of Court | 122 months |
Junior Jean Merilia, 36 | Miami, Florida | Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft; Obstruction of Official Proceedings | 133 months |
Eddie Blanchard, 40 | Miami, Florida | Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud; Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft; Obstruction of Official Proceedings | 204 months |
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Moore and Thomas A. Garnett prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:13-cr-136; 3:14-cr-73; 3:14-cr-139; and 3:15-cr-39.