Teresia M. Jones, 34, of Holland, was arraigned September 21, in federal district court, charged in a 17-count indictment with one count of wire fraud, one count of theft of government funds, two counts of aggravated identity theft and 12 counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment, beginning in January 2020, Ms. Jones is accused of defrauding the IRS through a wide-ranging tax refund scheme by submitting false and fraudulent tax filings using stolen identities and claiming millions of dollars in improper tax refunds.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Ms. Jones laundered the stolen tax funds by purchasing a 2022 Cadillac Escalade for more than $150,000, real property for more than $850,000 and wedding planning services for $65,000, among other transactions.
The indictment also identifies for forfeiture the Cadillac Escalade, a 2022 Dodge Ram truck, two parcels of real property and approximately $320,000 seized from bank accounts, according to Michelle Baeppler, assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Ms. Jones pleaded not guilty to all counts at the arraignment and was released on bond.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the IRS criminal investigations and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Gene Crawford and Robert Patton.
