Former Social Worker Gets 4 Years In Tax Scam
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Los Angeles County social worker has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for filing federal tax returns in the names of 197 people in an effort to snare $2 million in refunds.
Federal prosecutors say 63-year-old Trang Van Dinh of El Monte pleaded guilty in February to identity theft and filing false tax claims. He was sentenced Monday to 46 months in prison.
Dinh was an eligibility worker for the county Department of Social Services and he had access to names and Social Security numbers of people seeking public assistance.
He filed tax returns seeking $2.2 million in refunds and the Internal Revenue Service issued checks for $1.2 million.
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