FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) - Two young women from Dillon have pleaded guilty to theft of government funds.
Nina Monique Allen, 32, and 38-year-old Wendy Marie Johnson entered those guilty pleas in a federal court in Florence - Allen to theft of government funds and Johnson to aggravated identity theft.
US States Attorney Bill NEttles says evidence in their case indicates Allen was an office manager for EZ Loan and Tax Services in Dillon where Johnson worked preparing tax returns.
"Johnson used personal
information obtained from former clients of EZ Loan to file tax returns and
obtain refunds electronically. Upon receiving the refund, Johnson and Allen
would apply a small refund as a credit for loan payments on existing EZ Loan
customer's accounts, then issue a "change check" in someone else's name. Allen would then recruit people to cash the new checks. Allen recruited
nine individuals who were paid between $20 and $200 to cash the checks. The
balances of approximately $30,000 received from the IRS was split between
Johnson and Allen," Nettles explains.
Nettles says the maximum penalty Allen can receive is 10 years
in prison, and a maximum of two years in prison could await Johnson.
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