BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

Within the last week, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with aggravated identity theft and federal income tax fraud. Each person is facing several charges.

The U. S. Attorney’s Office unsealed an indictment for the theft of government property and aggravated identity theft for Kayla Noble. Noble was charged with 12 counts of filing fraudulent income tax refunds in the names of 12 different taxpayers. The U. S. Treasury Department lost $102,237 as a result of the fraudulent filings.

Others taken into custody were brothers, Tommy Lee and Dennis Cuyler, (pictured, top left); Andres Garcia, (pictured, top right), Connie Lee, Addia Webb, Nikki Bowers, and James Smiley (pictured, bottom left). 

Plea Agreements

In other tax fraud related cases, a federal judge has accepted plea agreements of Tanya Cullens, (pictured, bottom right), and Arlista Hawls.

Ms. Hawls entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, theft of government funds, and to commit wire fraud on the first count. On the second count, she entered a plea of aggravated identity theft.

In addition to prison, she must pay mandatory restitution and supervision upon her release.

Ms. Cullens entered a plea to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, theft of government funds, and to commit wire fraud on the first count. On the second count, she entered a plea of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, Ms. Cullens was employed at a hospital and illegally obtained the personal information of 48 patients. She allegedly provided it to her co-c0nspirators, identified as Ms. Hawls and Ms. Alesia Ann Spivey for income tax fraud. Ms. Spivey signed a plea agreement in December.

A former employee of Jabil Circuit, Ms. Spivey, also allegedly admitted to conspiring with Ms. Cullens and Ms. Hawls to defraud that company through its relocation benefits program.