Ga. man pleads guilty to ID theft, Mo. tax fraud

A Georgia man pleaded guilty Sept. 4 to stealing the identifies of several dead people to obtain nearly $2.4 million in tax refunds from multiple states, including Missouri.

Sirhon Rivers, aka Ron, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

In Missouri, Rivers unlawfully obtained $547,000 from the Missouri Department of Revenue between January 2008 and August 2012 through fraudulent tax returns. He used the same scheme in at least 16 other states.

To complete the fraudulent tax returns, Rivers admitted he stole personal identification information - including names, Social Security numbers and birth dates - from the deceased. The tax returns were submitted electronically, with refunds also transferred electronically to bank accounts Rivers opened at several financial institutions, according to the release.

According to his guilty plea, Rivers must forfeit $2.37 million to the federal government, the amount fraudulently received from the various states.

Under federal statutes, Rivers also could receive up to 60 years in federal prison without parole, a fine of up to $1 million and a restitution order. He's also subject to a mandatory two-year prison sentence for aggravated identify theft. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled following the presentence investigation, according to the release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gonzalez and was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri Department of Revenue's Criminal Tax Investigations Bureau and the Missouri DOR's Compliance and Investigation Bureau.