RALEIGH – Four Fayetteville residents pleaded guilty in Wake County District Court to obtaining property by false pretenses in a fraudulent income tax return scheme recently uncovered by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

Diane W. Harrington, 44, of 3121 Amberjack Road and Tamesha S. Currie, 23, of 3118 Peacock St., Lot 199, each entered guilty pleas for filing fraudulent North Carolina individual income tax returns for the calendar year 2002. The returns were based on fictitious wage and tax statements and claimed refunds of taxes withheld by Smithfield Packing Company although Harrington and Currie were not employed by Smithfield Packing Company.

Wake County District Court Judge Paul G. Gessner sentenced Harrington and Currie to six-month minimum, eight-month maximum prison terms. The sentences were suspended and they were placed on supervised probation for 24 months, ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service. Harrington was ordered to pay restitution of $382 to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. The Department of Revenue did not issue a refund check to Currie.

Robin W. McMillian, 23, of 3211 Sailfish Court, and Angela D. Morrisey, 26, of 2910-D Dwelle Drive, each entered guilty pleas for filing fraudulent North Carolina individual income tax returns for calendar years 2001 and 2002. McMillian's returns were based on fictitious wage and tax statements from Bojangles restaurants for tax year 2001 and Beauty World for tax year 2002. McMillian claimed refunds from the Department of Revenue for these years based on fraudulent W-2 forms from these companies; however, the state's evidence showed she was not employed by either company. Morrisey's returns were based on fictitious wage and tax statements from National Restaurant Enterprises for 2001 and Bojangles restaurants for 2002. Morrisey claimed refunds from Department of Revenue for these years although she was not employed by these companies.

Gessner consolidated the charges against McMillian and sentenced her to a six-month minimum, eight-month maximum prison term. The sentence was suspended and she was placed on supervised probation for 36 months, ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and $822 in restitution to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Morrisey's charges were also consolidated and she was sentenced to a six-month minimum, eight-month maximum prison term. The sentence was suspended and she was placed on supervised probation for 36 months, ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, perform 100 hours of community service and pay $843 in restitution to the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

The charges against Harrington, Currie, McMillian and Morrisey resulted from an investigation by special agents with the Department's Criminal Investigations Division in Raleigh. The investigation is still in progress and more arrests are likely.

Last modified on: 10/31/07 03:44:05 PM.