A Kissimmee woman is among five people charged with collecting refunds on false tax returns filed in the names of Florida inmates, according to recently unsealed indictments announced by U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton April 15.

Billy Jean Leisenring, 40, of Kissimmee, along with Dunnellon residents William J. Albritton, 49, and Barbara Lamb Albritton, 66, neither of which are related to the U.S. Attorney, Beverly Ann Hersey, 70, of Winter Park, Charles Lints, 51, of Orlando, and Timothy Darren Thompson, 41, of Clermont, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The alleged conspirators collected about $140,245 by filing the fraudulent tax returns using the names, forged signatures and Social Security numbers of Florida Department of Corrections inmates during the 2007 calendar year, according to the indictment. William Albritton, who was an inmate himself, collected the names and Social Security numbers from other inmates and employer identification numbers, used to file annual salary earnings, of legitimate companies.

The conspirators then created false W-2 forms with the information they obtained to submit false tax returns and claim tax refunds. Refund checks were issued to Leisenring and Barbara Albritton and distributed among the others, who kept a portion for themselves and returned the rest to Leisenring and Barbara Albritton.

On April 15, the deadline for paying federal taxes, U.S. Attorney Albritton stated: “Millions of citizens will file legitimate income tax returns and pay their fair share of taxes. Those who file false returns face serious criminal penalties.”

The case was investigated by the St. Cloud Internal Revenue Service-Secret Service, or SCIR-SS, financial crimes tax task force and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Irick. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 25 years in federal prison.