Politics & Government

Detroit Man Sentenced in $250,000+ Income Tax Fraud

Deandre Elliott sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to make restitution to the IRS.

DETROIT, MI — A Detroit man was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $183,000 in restitution on charges that he stole the identities of others and filed federal income tax returns in their names, the Justice Department said.

Deandre Elliott, 33, was indicted earlier this year and was in the third day of a trial when he pleaded guilty to filing false tax claims exceeding more than $250,000, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.

During the trial, witnesses said Elliott had their personal identifying information, but they never authorized them to file tax returns on their behalf and weren’t aware that he had, McQuade said.

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An IRS official testified that the returns claimed the returns claimed wages from employers for whom the victims had never worked and other tax credits, then provided information to have the fraudulent refunds deposited in accounts he controlled, according to the release.

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