LAWMEN SNARED IN ALLEGED PLOT TO INFLATE REFUNDS
By FITSNEWS || Richland County, S.C. sheriff Leon Lott has arrested five of his deputies and charged them with tax evasion and fraud.
According to a release from his office, Lott arrested deputies Valerie Gibson (43), Eddie West (29), Cedric Jacobs (40), Bobby Cohen (32) and Vivian Belton (48). A sixth person – an ex-civilian employee of the department named Maribel Crespo – was also arrested and charged with thirteen counts of tax fraud.
The five deputies allegedly took their tax returns to Crespo to “increase their refunds and defraud the government,” Lott said.
Specifically, Crespo is accused of creating fake identities for dependents that didn’t exist – which these deputies then claimed on their tax returns in an effort to get deductions.
“They knowingly allowed her to put these dependents on their returns that didn’t exist,” he said, adding that Crespo had previously been accused of counterfeiting charges.
“That’s what makes me the maddest,” Lott said. “After the fact … the deputies knew that we arrested her and convicted her, they continued to go to her knowing that she was a crook.”
Lott said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be filed. All of those arrested were transported to the county’s detention center where they will await arraignment. And yes, they’re all innocent until proven guilty.
RAPID REACTION
.@fitsnews and some people still refuse to believe some cops can be corrupt
— Bryan Gamble (@BVGamble) October 30, 2014
***
71 comments
Bet they all voted Republican. Only people without jobs vote D.
http://www.wltx.com/picture-gallery/news/2014/10/30/photos-tax-fraud-arrests-mugshots/18178541/
Really? 2 seconds on Google shows you are a dumbass.
Lighten up, that was my “Tea Party” imitation. I’m very much aware of tax fraud involving EIC.
You forgot that govmint employees vote D.
I vote the hot skinny hoe in the right.
Help me out here. County Sheriff. State Department of Revenue and/or IRS offenses.
No local income tax in South Carolina. How is Lott involved here?
Fraud is fraud. A crime is a crime. Local law enforcement can arrest you for committing any crime, state of federal. There are no such things as Dept. Of Revenue and IRS offenses. The Dept. of Revenue does not arrest people, the IRS does not arrest people. The FBI, SLED, County Sheriffs and City Police arrest people for these things. You can be arrested by other agencies for other things.
Whether it is a state or federal offense may impact who will prosecute.
Leon Lott.I can’t help but think of this song.A crime isn’t always a crime,if your’e a narc:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJyQpAiMXkg
Sorry Jack but I have personally witnessed an IRS team storm a building, haul away illegal gambling devices and yes, arrest the occupants of the building. While doing so, several of them wore ski masks but they had their creds showing the entire time. Then the indictments were announced by the IRS Criminal Division spokesperson on the evening news. I can’t speak to the DOR’s arrest powers.
http://www.sctax.org/News+Releases/20120712_HHTimeshare.htm
Sorry Jack, wrong again. Plenty of examples for you of DOR agents arresting people. Take your bullshit elsewhere.
But isn’t DOR a Haley cabinet? Will they actually do their job?
New DOR director ran off the old prosecutor and has his person in now. They’re gonna start cuffing people left and right.
The number of armed Federal, State, and Local governmental agencies/entities with the power to arrest you should scare the crap out of any sane American.
should scare the crap out of any sane American.
——
and it would!
You don’t know jack. The IRS can arrest people … they have law enforcement officers with guns.
IRS may not make arrests, but T-men can. Secret Service & Treasury is armed and dangerous, fur sure. And the IRS kangaroos will come a-courten’
I have been saying for years, Richland County Sheriff’s Department is one of the most inept and corrupt law enforcement agencies in the state, yet they get the royal treatment in the press.
it makes no sense. Lets hope people open their eyes and see what is going on.
That mugshot lineup looks like Detroit’s city council.
No Mark, you’re reading this wrong. You are supposed to look at this article and think, “WOW, Leon is the most honest law enforcement official to ever bless this state with is presence.” “He arrested some of his own deputies who were doing crooked things.”
You should let this story sink in and make you forget that more than one of his previous Chief deputies has engaged in highly questionable conduct in recent history, and that such conduct would have seen someone not so closely tied to Leon behind bars for quite a while. Also, don’t think about how one of these former Chief Deputies was re-hired almost immediately after resigning from an agency that Leon wants badly to control, under a cloud of suspicion over acts unbecoming of his position and maybe downright criminal in nature. Don’t think about how that former Chief Deputy resigned supposedly because he had PTSD because someone he knew died. (Hasn’t that happened to all of us at one time or another? Yeah it sucks and we grieve, but I wouldn’t say it causes PTSD.) Don’t think about how Leon seems to be putting his little chess men and women in place in most counties surrounding RC as though trying to build a Kingdom around his own or expand it (Kershaw, Fairfield, Lexington). Please Mark, read this story and think the thoughts you are supposed to be thinking. :-)
Who’s the smart aleck in the background. Too much cuffs.
He looks as though he’s checking out Leon’s butt.
Looks like he likes what he sees.
LMAO! Indeed, he does.
Who’s the smart aleck in the background.
Looks like Mozart.
Braille archivist.
Could he be the guy who ratted out his buddies?
Looks like a younger and thinner Thad Viers.
Found it, I thought you were referring to handcuffs….
https://www.google.com/#q=fraudulent+tax+refunds+sent+to+Mexico
Funny, they don’t look Mexican.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/05/22/congress-irs-tax-delinquencies/9442749/
And they don’t work for the Federal Government.
I’m sure this is just a totally random incident, like voter fraud.
Damn, do your job ! SLED whatever. A great thank you from SC taxpayers Leon. Why is SLED in SC ?
Could this be a setup for Vince to install Leon as Chief Of SLED? I would vote directly for Vince if he would promise that this is not on his agenda. As it is, I will vote for one of the other “also ran’s”.
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Are you one of the bimbos who upped their salary while working at CPD by performing personal services for one of the Lott Family hierarchy, when they had control of that agency?
Nikkis yes asshole should of be done years ago. Her pussy will not have a affect on Leon. BET YA ?
Try again Deo? Is this really Deo? I get the feeling there are two of you on here as of late, one we know and another who is an imposter.
Maybe he is on Meth? Wireless keyboard going out on him?
Maybe he is on Meth? Wireless keyboard going out on him?
Contracted Tangbola?
God help us all if it becomes airborne…
you are right, I made a request of Sic. How can someone get my screen ?
They just create the same name and use a different e-mail and password. Sorry it happened to you, man.
They just create the same name and use a different e-mail and password…
First they did it to GrandTango (implying that he was some sort of flaming homersexshull!) and TBG said nothing…
Neither did I.
But I do confess to having laughed my ass off at some of the comments.
Not trying to be an ass, but how is this possible assuming Haley is going to win on Tuesday?
Yeah, good point. I’m still in denial. I keep hoping that somehow Haley and Lindsey will be unemployed private citizens after the first of the year.
LEON LOTT ARRESTS FIVE DEPUTIES ON TAX CHARGES
Wasted a wonderful opportunity for a NEW YORK TIMES style headline:
LEON LOTT ARRESTS FIVE DEPUTIES ON TAX CHARGES: WOMEN AND MINORITIES HARDEST HIT
ROFMAO …. You would be surprised at how many public employees do in fact CHEAT on their tax returns. Even employees within the Court System itself! The most common is fraudulent claims of donations to charity.
You think ??? You new to ” the system ” ? people are not the problem , some are, government is the problem in every aspect of our lives.
*Looks around*
Who’s claiming GrandTango as a dependant this year?
dependant
—–
perfect.
It’s a rare one for him….maybe he’s British?
Please excuse me — I misread that as “defendant”.
Bryan Gamble: I don’t know that some people don’t ‘believe’ some cops are corrupt.
Some people won’t admit it.
Richland County is wasteful, abuses and misuses the public money. One example is the $50,000.00 to $60,000.00 black SUVS ,,, dozens of them. And guess who they purchased them from.
Nikkiv ?
With the Lexington gang out, Leon can do his thing. SLED is a joke, go LEON .!!!
He still hasn’t noticed that pot growing behind him.
He knows it’s there. He’s just hoping no one else noticed.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lVA1xRrWBuk
http://www.hahahaamerica.com/
Not found – The requested URL /<object width= was not found on this server ! Got a better link?
Not found?
I just clicked on it, and it worked fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmANxHJ6s9M
here’s youtube.
This is one of the “items” the FBI is investigating regarding FEDERAL prosecution of Bobby Harrell and others he has implicated — FEDERAL income tax fraud. And on the STATE level, there is the parallel trap for the guilty — STATE income tax fraud.
“And on the STATE level, there is the parallel trap for the guilty — STATE income tax fraud.”
Gotta have a state prosecutor willing to do it though…..I wonder who Toal has in mind.
Good point but consider this:
State and Federal income tax
returns are typically filed simultaneously, with the same sources and
amounts of income and deductions.
If the US DOJ successfully
prosecutes Harrell and others for FEDERAL income tax fraud, it’d be VERY
difficult — and hard to explain — for a state prosecutor NOT to
successfully prosecute them for the EXACT SAME violations.
Toal? I DARE Toal to interfere — she belongs in jail, too.
I think all federal audit changes are automatically reported to the state.
Yes, and here — with a SLED investigation already underway — reported by the USDOJ to both SLED and the SC DOR.
Both are part of the cabinet of our governor, who relishes any investigation of legislator enemies like Harrell and his foot-men.
We know the crooks, we know the election will keep ’em in office. It’s a REPUBLICAN SOUTH CAROLINA.
damn the curry on his cock.
Why is Leon standing behind a City of Columbia seal in this picture? Has he taken his tank and conquered the city limits? Is Lexington County next? Will there be an alliance between Richland, Fairfield, Kershaw, and Sumter Counties? Will we all have to say Heil Leon?
This
This is why Leon Lott is good for Richland county. He’s beyond reproach. And when he finds evidence of wrong doing. HE ACTS ON IT IMMEDIATELY
LEXINGTON COUNTY COULD USE HIS like in office there too
Is Lott still training terrorists in Iraq?