Fraudulent Tax Return Scheme Involves Hiring Postal Carriers

Anthony Gosha, aka Boo Boo, of Phoenix City, Alabama, was arrested by federal agents in July 2017 on charges of filing fraudulent tax returns, conspiring to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The indictment alleges that Gosha stole over 7,000 ID’s and used those to file phony tax returns with refunds totaling over $19 million.

Some of the ID’s were stolen from an Alabama state agency, and Gosha also used Electronic Filing Identification Numbers in the name of a fake tax prep business in which they used to file the returns.

On those returns, they instructed the IRS to either issue prepaid debit cards or U.S. Treasury checks.  Gosha recruited several postal carriers to provide addresses on their mail routes to which the refund checks could be sent.  The checks were then cashed at various check cashing businesses in Alabama and Georgia.

If convicted on all charges, Gosha faces up to a maximum of 30 years in prison plus a minimum of 2 years for each count of identity theft, supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties.