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Highlands Today

Man charged with stealing victim's tax refund

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: May 22, 2009

SEBRING - A Sebring man was released from jail Tuesday on a $6,000 bond following his arrest on warrants allegedly that he stole another person's tax refund.
William Alston Clarke, 25, of 229 Montego Drive, Sebring, was charged with computer crime with the intent to defraud and attempting to use the ID of another person without their consent.

On Jan. 31, Clarke was helping a friend file her 2008 tax return online, according to the arrest report. The suspect got the victim's W-2 and Social Security number, as well as her checking account and bank routing number to set up a direct deposit for the refund.

Clarke told the victim the return did not go through on the first try. He reapplied and sent the return again, but not before reportedly replacing her direct deposit information with his own.

A password allowing the victim to view her return was also changed, the report stated.

The victim was supposed to receive a $1,575 tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service on Feb. 13. On that date, Clarke's personal account was credited a deposit for the same amount.
Highlands County Sheriff's Deputy Thelma Joyce Huerta made the arrest.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com.

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