St. Louis, MO (STL.News) Aaron Mitchell, 31, of the 8700 block of Oriole in St. Louis, was sentenced today to 34 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges involving a federal income tax refund scheme.  Mitchell appeared before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig who also ordered him to pay $99,576.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

At the time of his guilty plea, Mitchell admitted to preparing over 160 tax returns for the years 2013 through 2015.  He filed those returns electronically from his residence on the 8700 block of Oriole in the City of St. Louis.  The returns contained false W-2 wage and withholding information as well as false claims of tax credits for education expenses including the American Opportunity Credit.  According to court papers, the IRS lost $99,576.00 in tax refunds paid as a result of Mitchell’s actions.

In sentencing Mitchell, the judge noted his many fraud convictions and his pending fraud charges in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Franklin County and Madison County, Illinois.  The court also noted that Mitchell had been taken off bond in the tax case after being arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart store in Granite City on New Year’s Eve.  The judge told Mitchell that he was a “one man financial wrecking crew.”

The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation office in St. Louis as assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service.  This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in St. Louis.

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