$3.5M tax return scheme targets Health Department patients

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some people who had their identities stolen from the Orange County Department of Health have now been victimized a second time, Channel 9 has learned.

Investigators said the Health Department gave the information to people who filed for millions of dollars in fake tax returns.

The office behind the scheme was identified as 1 Man At Large Accounting, IRS agents said.

Two Health Department employees, Shanterica Smith and Gerald Williams, were arrested in the scheme, accused of stealing Social Security numbers and other identification information for thousands of patients.

Channel 9 has since learned one woman who claimed to work out of the office is also facing charges. Federal prosecutors said April Cuyler she used the stolen information to file false tax returns.

Officials said one account with Cuyler's name had more than $500,000 in fraudulent income tax refunds deposited.

In all, there are more than 2,900 victims with more than $3.5 million in refunds issued by the IRS, officials said.

Cuyler said she got most of her information for the fraudulent returns from Smith, Williams and a third man named Delray Duncan.

WFTV