An inmate at Bennettsville’s federal prison, as well as three other men, have been charged in a 34-count indictment with participating in a scheme in which false tax returns were submitted to the Internal Revenue Service for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining refunds, U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins said in a press release issued Thursday.
Thomas Joseph Dalton, 50, a federal inmate in Bennettsville at the time of his alleged involvement in the crimes, is charged with submitting 27 false income tax returns, theft of government funds, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft.
Randall Lewis Smith, 50, of Summerville, Georgia M. Adams, 55, of Harleyville, and Misha Danyell Cleckley, 33, of Orangeburg all are charged with conspiracy. Adams also is charged with three counts of false claims, and Cleckley is charged with one false claim count.
The indictment alleges that false tax returns were submitted to the IRS in the names of members of the conspiracy as well as the names of others, some of whom weren’t aware their identities were being used. Refunds totaling about $1.4 million were requested, and more than $415,000 in refunds were issued before the scheme was detected.
The maximum penalty for a conspiracy conviction is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; for false claim, five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; theft of government funds,10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and aggravated identify theft, two years in prison consecutive to any other penalty and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigative Division and assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean A. Eichelberger of the Columbia office for prosecution.
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