Law enforcement joins forces with IRS to knock Tampa out of the top tax theft spot
Alliance seeks to put a dent in tax refund fraud
Posted: 09/10/2012
FDLE agents suspect Demetrius Lewis is part of a criminal alliance. They arrested the 37-year-old Monday morning and confiscated $60,000 in checks and debit cards issued in other people's names.
Like the bad guys, FDLE understands they too have to join forces. They see it as the only way to stop the drop, as the crime is known in law enforcement circles.
Months ago, FDLE, the IRS and the Attorney General's office formed their own alliance and developed strategies aimed at a sole goal, to knock Tampa Bay out of the number one spot when it comes to tax refund fraud.
Due to privacy concerns, it wasn't until this year the IRS began sharing information with law enforcement.
FDLE expects Lewis to be the first of many more arrests in the coming months as they set out to take a bite out of tax fraud before tax season cranks up again after the first of the year.
For more information on how to protect yourself from ID theft, visit myfloridalegal.com/identitytheft .
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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