San Pablo, Richmond Residents Indicted for Tax Fraud

Three Bay Area residents have been indicted for allegedly filing fraudulent tax returns and other offenses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. San Pablo resident Carol Bryant, also known as Carol Lawson, was charged with conspiracy to file false tax claims, wire fraud, two counts of theft of government property and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Richmond resident Mark Russell was charged with conspiracy to file false tax claims, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Richmond resident Anyssa Hall was charged with conspiracy to file false tax claims and theft of government property.

All three were charged with conspiracy to aid and abet to file false claims, according to the indictment. Authorities arrested Russell and Bryant on Monday and they appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis Westmore on Wednesday in Oakland, according to federal prosecutors. The two will appear in court again Dec. 3 in a trial setting to establish a schedule for future court appearances, federal officials said.

Also, at that time a decision will be made about what to do about Hall who is still at large, U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Abraham Simmons said. The indictment alleges that starting on Jan. 9, 2009, and ending on May 4, 2013, the three obtained the names and information of taxpayers either illegally or among themselves, according to federal prosecutors. The three then either filed false returns or helped others file false returns to obtain the proceeds of tax refunds, federal prosecutors allege.

The false tax returns were allegedly filed with false W-2 statements that allegedly reported employers had withheld federal taxes, according to federal prosecutors. Bryant, Hall and Russell allegedly had the tax refunds sent to their bank accounts, federal prosecutors said.

By Bay City News

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