Crime & Safety

Cobb Couple Sentenced in Tax Refund Scam

The Austell couple used an IRS database to engage in a tax refund fraud scheme.

ATLANTA, GA — A husband and wife from Cobb County have been sentenced to prison for their role in a tax refund fraud scheme that used data from the IRS’s “Get Transcript” database.

According to U.S. Attorney John Horn, Anthony Alika, 42, of Austell, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. He will also have to pay about $1.96 million in restitution. Alika pleaded guilty in April to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Sonia Alika, 27, was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison. She must pay about $245,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of illegally structuring cash withdrawals to evade bank reporting requirements.

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