CINCINNATI -- A woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to filing false claims for income tax refunds with the IRS.
Mariamne McKinstry, 38, prepared and electronically filed 192 false claims for income tax refunds with the IRS between 2010 and 2013, according to court documents.
The false claims for income tax refunds totaled $1,169,069, which cost the IRS $136,315.
IRS special agents found 227 personal identifiable information items at her residence, including social security numbers, names, dates of birth and addresses, all written in notebooks or sheets of paper.
McKinstry obtained the false income tax returns from the victims of identity theft and kept the money for her personal use, agents said.
IRS special agents also found 189 prepaid debit cards in the names of other people at her home.
McKinstry will pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $136,315. She faces a maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
