Inmate tried to bilk IRS out of $890M, while behind bars
(CBS/AP) SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A New York prison inmate doing time for theft has a new problem: a jury has convicted him of filing false tax returns seeking $890 million in refunds.
Who's his accountant, H&R cell block?
Prosecutors say the inmate filed the bogus returns from 2006 to 2010 while at various state prisons. They say he was even was issued a refund for $327,000 - but prison officials intercepted the check and returned it to the Internal Revenue Service, which led to the investigation.
The man was convicted Thursday of 11 counts of filing false claims, and one count of helping another inmate file bogus returns.
He was already serving two to four years for possession of stolen property when he was charged last February. Now he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the 11 tax fraud count when he's sentenced anew in May.