Former IRS employee sentenced to 2 years in prison for ID theft - WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

Former IRS employee sentenced to 2 years in prison for identity theft

A former IRS employee was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday for identity theft and filing false tax returns.

Fifty-seven-year-old George Albright was employed by the IRS as a taxpayer service representative from 1995 until this past March.

Albright previously admitted between February 2008 and January 2011 he used his position as an IRS employee to obtain names and identifiers of taxpayers from records and then used this information to file several fraudulent federal income tax returns totaling nearly $10,000.

In May he pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return and one count of using the identities of other persons to do so.

"Tax fraud, or any crime committed by a government employee, occupies a high priority for federal investigators and prosecutors in this district," said U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin. "Anyone filing a fraudulent tax return and anyone employed in a position of public trust should take note of the prison sentence they risk if they engage in this sort of criminal conduct, even if they have no criminal record. They should also be reminded that there is no parole in the federal system."

Albright was also ordered to forfeit the computer equipment used in committing the crimes and will be required to repay the refunds he fraudulently obtained.

He will remain under federal supervision for one year after completing his prison sentence.