Ex-Social Worker Sells Foster Children’s Identities to Tax Preparers in Fraud Scheme

Gebah Kamara, of West Chester, PA, who worked at the Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia, was sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison on charges that he conspired to defraud the IRS.  Kamara previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, aiding and abetting the preparation of false tax returns, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2014.

As a social worker, Kamara stole the identities of foster children and sold the information to tax preparers from a tax preparation firm named Medmans Financial Services.  The tax preparers would then use the foster children’s identity as fraudulent dependents on tax returns.

The owner of Medmans was listed as a co-conspirator along with seven employees of his firm.  Sentencing is pending for six of the defendants; one pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2013.

For the tax years 2007 through 2010, a total of 283 false tax returns were filed using 321 of the foster children’s identities, generating fraudulent returns, some over $9,000. The estimated loss to the IRS is in excess of $1.2 million.  For his part, Kamara was paid $200 to $300 for each child’s identity.