DeKalb County

Indictment: Couple stole $45K filing bogus tax returns

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A federal indictment accuses a Dunwoody couple of filing fake tax returns and stealing nearly $45,000 in bogus refunds.

Channel 2's Mike Petchenik obtained a copy of the indictment that was returned June 8 against Raphael Menard and Leshanda Hunte.

The indictment said the pair filed five separate returns in 2012 and then obtained the refunds before depositing them in a Dunwoody Chase Bank branch.

“Somehow, they got an individual’s identifiers, their Social Security number, date of birth, and then they prepared tax returns, which were false,” said retired IRS Special Agent Jack Fishman, who is not associated with the case. “They electronically filed it early in the season. They got the refund. Then, some time later, the legitimate tax filer found out their taxes had already been filed.”

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Fishman told Petchenik he’s seen fraud on both sides of the fence, as an agent and now as a criminal defense attorney who handles tax cases.

“The IRS is playing catch-up with identification fraud,” he said.

Fishman estimates the government loses billions of dollars because of fraudulent tax returns.

“Quite literally, it’s an open spigot,” he said. “There’s no telling what the figures could be.”

Fishman said the IRS is understaffed.

“Congress has withheld funds. The IRS is hurting for manpower. The IRS is hurting for computer capability,” he said.

Petchenik contacted the IRS about this case but didn’t hear back.

Records show a judge has issued warrants for the arrests of Menard and Hunte.

Channel 2 Action News Consumer Adviser Clark Howard said protecting your personal information is important, but he said preventing refund fraud is nearly impossible.

Instead, he suggests if taxpayers don’t have a refund, then thieves don’t have anything to steal.

“It's even better if you owe the IRS just a little bit of additional tax rather than expecting a big refund because once somebody messes with your identity with taxes, you'll wait 10 to 14 months to get your refund,” he said. “The key is: Don't expect a big refund in the first place.”