RALEIGH--A Fayetteville man was sentenced to an active prison term Tuesday on felony charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

Thomas James Sampson, Jr., 28, of 1874 Rim Road, Fayetteville, pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses for filing fraudulent North Carolina individual income tax returns. The state's evidence showed that Sampson filed two returns for 2002 claiming a refund of taxes withheld by Smithfield Packing Company and National Restaurants, Inc. The income reported on those returns was incorrect and Sampson did not work for those companies or have taxes withheld by them.

Wake County District Court Judge Paul Gessner sentenced Sampson to a nine-month minimum, 11-month maximum active prison term with the North Carolina Department of Corrections.

The charges against Sampson resulted from an investigation by the Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Division. The Department’s investigation of local individuals filing fraudulent state income tax returns using fictitious wage and tax statements is continuing and more arrests are likely.

Last modified on: 10/31/07 03:43:52 PM .