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Two from Jax charged with conspiring with inmates to defraud government

Two people from Jacksonville are among six now charged with conspiring with inmates to defraud the IRS.

WOKV has obtained the indictment against 30-year-old Tiffani Manning and 48-year-old Silvester Bowens, charging them with conspiracy to defraud the government, theft of public money, and aiding and abetting the theft of public money. 70-year-old Laura Wright, 38-year-old Christopher Wyant, 33-year-old Tabatha Dubois and Chad Heins are also named in the indictment.

The US Attorney’s Office says these people conspired with two inmates at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, FL to file false tax returns between March 2007 and December 2011. The returns would range from $5,762 to $24,794. The “intended losses” totaled about $6.8 million.

The indictment claims the suspects would use forged signatures and social security numbers to file the returns, which would be directly deposited into accounts opened and maintained by them. They would allegedly distribute the money amongst themselves once it was deposited.  The indictment further says they would use “communicate in coded language, in written communication and in telephone conversations, and perform other acts, in an attempt to hide and conceal and cause to be hidden and concealed the purpose of the conspiracy.”

If found guilty of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. Each count of theft of public money also carries a maximum sentence of ten years- Manning is facing six counts and Bowens is charged with three.

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