Two Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to File False Claims for Tax Refunds
Excerpt
WASHINGTON - Odell Folks, a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Tanya Smith, a resident of Waterbury, Conn., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to file false claims for tax refunds, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Folks also pleaded guilty to mail fraud and making a false tax return. Folks and Tanya Smith, along with co-defendants Keith Terry and Sharon Smith, were indicted in November 2008 for a scheme to file false claims for refund with the IRS using names of clients of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO). Terry, a resident of Dallas, Ga., pleaded guilty to the false claims conspiracy and a false return charge on Jan. 29, 2009. Sharon Smith, a resident of Bronx, N.Y., is currently sched