Letter carrier is sentenced for tax-return scam
A letter carrier was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in federal prison for trying to steal $400,000 using fake income tax returns mailed to people on his postal route. Tyree Harrell, 28, of Philadelphia, gave accomplices the addresses of postal customers for use in filing false income tax returns. The returns were filed in the names of actual Puerto Rican residents. When refund checks were mailed to the addresses Harrell served in Philadelphia, he intercepted the checks and delivered them to his codefendants, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The total tax refunds sought were $400,000, but the IRS has said losses due to Harrell's conduct were about $41,230, as few of the false returns generated refunds. - Nathan Gorenstein
A letter carrier was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in federal prison for trying to steal $400,000 using fake income tax returns mailed to people on his postal route. Tyree Harrell, 28, of Philadelphia, gave accomplices the addresses of postal customers for use in filing false income tax returns. The returns were filed in the names of actual Puerto Rican residents. When refund checks were mailed to the addresses Harrell served in Philadelphia, he intercepted the checks and delivered them to his codefendants, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The total tax refunds sought were $400,000, but the IRS has said losses due to Harrell's conduct were about $41,230, as few of the false returns generated refunds.
- Nathan Gorenstein