23 counts - Identity Theft, 4 counts - Illegal Use of Debit Card, 4 counts - Grand Theft, and 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. Arrington was in possession of 23 identities and obtained $7,308.00 from the U.S. Treasury by using 8 of the identities. (Mug from previous arrest 9/16/2011)
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Corey Carter
1 count - Identity Theft, 1 count - Illegal Use of a Debit Card, 1 count – Grand Theft, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. Carter was identified on security video using a Turbo Tax debit card to make withdraws. The debit card was obtained through filing a tax return without the victim’s permission. Carter obtained $4,000.00 from the IRS from the Turbo Tax debit card.(Mug from previous arrest on 6/16/2010)
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Darrell Williams
2 counts - Identity Theft, 1 count - Grand Theft, 2 counts - Illegal Use of a Debit Card. Carvalho was observed using a tax card to purchase money orders from a major retailer. He was unable to advise whose name was on the card or where he had obtained the card. Investigation revealed that the card was obtained as a result of a fraudulently filed tax return. He obtained $2,983.00 from the IRS and the PCSO recovered $2,983.00.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Francietta Freeman
Mug from previous arrest 7/26/2011
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Geraldo Carvalho
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Keturah Ford
Previously charged (3/29/12) with 1 count - Identity Theft and 1 count - Grand Theft over $300.00. She was arrested today on new charges: 5 counts - Identity Theft; 1 count - Scheme to Defraud a Financial Institution (F2), and 1 count - Grand Theft (over $10,000). Ford worked as a bank teller at Mid-Florida Credit Union (she was terminated). Since November, 2011 she had cashed 43 fraudulently obtained tax checks, totaling approximately $118,307.11 from the IRS. Mid-Florida has been fully cooperating with this investigation.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Maureen Turner
1 count - Pass an Altered Instrument, 1 count - Forgery, 1 count - Grand Theft. Turner attempted to cash an altered U.S. Treasury check.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Zachary Herring
Identity Theft over 30 Victims, 1 count - Illegal Use of Debit Card, 1 count - Grand Theft, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. (Mug from previous arrest 5/5/2012)
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Derrick Howell
1 county - Scheme to Defraud over $20,000; 4 counts - Grand Theft over $5,000.00; 1 count - Grand Theft over $300.00. Howell is a Healthcare Management employee. He used his personal bank account to allow fraudulently obtained tax refunds to be deposited—a total of $30,377.75 was deposited.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Shonda Wilkinson
1 count - Identity Theft, 1 count - Grand Theft, 1 count - Illegal Use of a Debit Card. Wilkinson was observed using a tax card to purchase money orders from a major retailer. She was unable to advise whose name was on the card or where she had obtained the card. The investigation revealed that the card was obtained as a result of a fraudulently filed tax return. She obtained $1,000.00 on a debit card from the IRS and the Sheriff’s Office recovered $1,000.00 in money orders. She was arrested on 9/9/2011. Wilkinson was sentenced to 5 years probation, 100 hours of community service and restitution. She was arrested again today on new charges: Identity Theft over 30 Victims, 1 count - Money Laundering, 9 counts - Grand Theft, and 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. Wilkinson was found to be in possession of 81 identities that she obtained from 16 different subjects. 44 of the identities were supplied by Farrah Legrand a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) working at the Groves Nursing Home. All 44 victims are residents of the Groves Nursing Home. Wilkinson obtained $36,348.00 from the U.S. Treasury with the identities.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Lavon Wilkinson
2 counts - Identity Theft, 2 counts - Grand Theft, 1 count - Illegal Use of a Debit Card, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. Wilkinson was observed using a tax card to purchase money orders from a major retailer. She was unable to advise whose name was on the card or where she had obtained the card. Investigation revealed that the card was obtained as a result of a fraudulently filed tax return. She obtained $16,110.00 from the IRS on two debit cards and the PCSO recovered $500.00 in money orders. Wilkinson was sentenced to 5 years probation, 30 days work release, 100 hours of community service and restitution. Her identity theft victims were from the Lake Alfred Assisted Living Facility.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Jacqueline Waters
14 counts - Identity Theft, 2 counts - Illegal Use of Debit Card, 1 count - Grand Theft, 1 count - Petit Theft. Waters was observed using a tax card to purchase money orders from a major retailer. She was unable to advise whose name was on the card or where she had obtained the card. Investigation revealed that the card was obtained as a result of a fraudulently filed tax return. She obtained $1,500.00 from the IRS and the PCSO recovered $1,500.00 in money orders. The PCSO seized $810.00 in U.S. currency from the Waters.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Derek Rogers
2 counts - Criminal Use of Personal ID, and 1 count - Illegal Use of a Debit Card. Rogers was also arrested on 9/2/11 for 1 count - Possession of Cannabis. At the time he was observed using a tax card to purchase money orders from a major retailer. He was unable to advise whose name was on the card or where he had obtained the card. Investigation revealed that the card was obtained as a result of a fraudulently filed tax return. He obtained $4,600.00 from the IRS and the PCSO recovered $2,000.00 in money orders.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Caitlin Nelson
Resisting Arrest, 1 count of Identity Theft, 1 count of Illegal Use of Debit Card, 1 count of Grand Theft, and 1 count of Scheme to Defraud.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Tiffany Manghram
1 count - Scheme to Defraud over $20,000; 1 count - Grand Theft over $5,000.00; 3 counts - Grand Theft over $300.00. Manghram utilized her personal bank account to allow fraudulently obtained tax refunds to be deposited—a total of $22,185.45 from the IRS.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Sharod Vann
4 counts - Identity Theft, 1 count - Illegal Use of a Debit Card, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud, 4 counts - Grand Theft. Vann obtained 4 Turbo Tax debit cards by filing false tax returns in the names of four different victims. The suspect used the debit cards to withdraw $9,250.00. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office recovered $9,040.90 on the cards in his possession.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Farrah Legrand
Identity Theft over 30 Victims, 1 count - Money Laundering, 9 counts - Grand Theft, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. Legrand is a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the Groves Nursing Home in Lake Wales. She gave the personal information of 44 nursing home residents to Shonda Wilkinson. Wilkinson filed tax returns and directed the funds to a bank account. Legrand then transferred the funds to another account and obtained $36,348.00 (from the U.S. Treasury).
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Derail Bess
Derail Bess charges: Identity Theft over 30 Victims, 10 counts - Grand Theft, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud, 11 counts - Illegal Use of a Credit Card. Bess obtained the victims’ information from Cathy McClain and used it to obtain $87,722.24. He was in possession of 83 identities. The victims were all residents of Brandywyne Nursing Home. Bess was sentenced to 5 years in prison, 20 years probation, and restitution.
Cathy McClain charges: Identity Theft over 30 Victims, 1 count - Grand Theft, 1 count - Scheme to Defraud. McClain worked at the Brandywyne Nursing Home as a LPN. She provided Derail Bess with 83 identities that belonged to residents of the nursing home. She was arrested on 9/13/2011 and her criminal case is pending.
