GADSDEN CO., Fla. (WTXL) - U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Pamela Marsh announced today that Rashad Lamond Anderson, 23, of Tampa, Annecia Bellandra Larkins, 23, and Tavin Gernard Larkins, 23, both of Havana and Almecia Endelease Pillers, 21, of Quincy, were sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States, theft of government property and aggravated identity theft charges.
United States District Judge Mark Walker issued the following sentences:
Rashad Anderson to 64 months in prison, three years of supervised release and pay restitution of more than $625,000.
Annecia Larkins to 48 months in prison, three years of supervised release and pay more than $625,000 in restitution.
Tavin Larkins to 12 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and pay restitution of more than $625,000.
Almecia Pillers to 12 months of probation and to pay more than $625,000 in restitution.
According to Marsh, between November 2011 and July 2012, all four conspired to cash 78 U.S. Treasury checks they got using stolen IDs in fraudulent income tax returns filed with the IRS totalling more than $625,000. Marsh says Anderson delivered the checks to Annecia Larkins, who worked as a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service in Midway, Florida. Marsh says Larkins then converted the checks into Postal Money Orders (PMOs), keeping $2,000 for each Treasury check she negotiated before delivering the remaining PMOs to Anderson.
Marsh says in an effort to further conceal the fraud, Larkins enlisted the assistance of her husband, Tavin Larkins, and her sister, Almecia Pillers, to deposit her share of the proceeds into their respective bank accounts.
