Alabama state employee indicted for identity theft | Crime

Chequila Motley, of Montgomery, Ala., was indicted by a federal grand jury for her involvement in a conspiracy to use stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns, announced George L. Beck, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Motley was indicted on various charges, including conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, Motley worked for an Alabama state government agency and had access to individuals’ personal identifying information as part of her job.  She stole identities and sold them to several co-conspirators, the indictment alleges.  Those co-conspirators used the stolen identities to file false tax returns that fraudulently requested tax refunds from the IRS.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Motley faces a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge, and a mandatory 2-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts.  She will also be subject to fines and mandatory restitution if convicted.  
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Middle District of Alabama