Woman sentenced in fraudulent tax refund scheme

BALTIMORE (AP) — A woman who prosecutors say recruited people to file for fraudulent tax refunds has been sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Forty-three-year-old Tonia Lawson of Middle River was also ordered to pay more than $500,000 in restitution at sentencing Wednesday in federal court in Baltimore.

According to her plea agreement, Lawson and others recruited people who did not owe taxes convinced them that they could get refunds. Authorities say the women used the individuals’ identifying information to file fake returns.

Lawson’s daughters, 26-year-old Jasmine L. Thomas of Baltimore and 24-year-old Kiara Skipwith of Parkville, pleaded guilty in the scheme and were sentenced to probation.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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