Sandy and Casey Parsons were arrested today on a federal criminal indictment charging them with fraud, announced Ripley Rand, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. The 76-count criminal indictment was unsealed today following the couple’s arrest by FBI and IRS-CI agents in Fayetteville.
The indictment alleges that, from February 2010 to August 2013, Sandy Parsons, 40, and Casey Parsons, 39, committed tax fraud, mail fraud, theft of government funds, and identity theft, and engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the government. The indictment alleges that the Parsons received government funded adoption assistance, Medicaid, Social Security, and Food and Nutrition Services benefits for a dependent that did not live with them and used the mail to commit the fraud. The indictment also alleges that Casey Parsons fraudulently used the identities of other persons as dependents and used other false information when preparing federal tax returns.
Sandy and Casey Parsons are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; 20 counts of theft of government funds, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and 20 counts of mail fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The indictment also charges Sandy Parsons with one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years, consecutive to any other sentence, and a $250,000 fine; and one count of false statement to a government agency, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Casey Parsons is also charged with one count of false pretense in a health care matter, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; two counts of Social Security fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; 15 counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory sentence of two years, consecutive to any other sentence, and a $250,000 fine; two counts of false statement to a government agency, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; six counts of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine; six counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and one count of making false claim against the government, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Sandy and Casey Parsons are scheduled to have their initial appearance at 2:30 p.m. today in U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem. The case was investigated by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anand Ramaswamy.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.