Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 10-2-15 Edition

Features
Woman Gets 10 Years+ Must Repay $1.5 Million In Tax Fraud Case
A 35-year-old Tampa woman was sentenced to serve time in federal prison on Tues- day. She pleaded guilty to the theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft on April 23, 2015.
U. S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sen- tenced Ms. Tiffani Pye Williams to 10 years and 3 months in prison. She was also court ordered to repay $1,533,283 in restitution to the U. S. Treasury Department.
According to court docu- ments, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2014, Ms. Williams, her boyfriend, 25- year-old Bobby Muham- mad, of Tampa, and others, are alleged to have used various aliases to participate in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
Officials said Ms. Williams and her accomplices attempted to obtain more than $5.3 million in federal income tax returns. They used the per- sonal information of approxi- mately 991 people without their knowledge and were successful in receiving $1.5 million.
Many of the stolen identi- ties belonged to deceased vic- tims. Investigators determined that Ms. Williams, and oth- ers involved in the scheme, filed more than 1,000 fraudu- lent tax returns.
Ms. Williams and Muhammad were charged separately with conspiracy, theft of government property, and identity theft.
Muhammad is slated to go on trial in November 2015.
MS. TIFFANI PYE WILLIAMS ... Sentenced to 10 years and 3 months in prison
BOBBY MUHAMMAD ... Awaiting trial
Longshoreman Killed In Motorcycle Crash
A 58-year-old Gibsonton man was fatally injured Wednesday evening when his motorcycle collided with a car. The accident took place shortly after 5 p.m., at U. S. Highway 41 and Riverview Drive.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Rodney Cur- tiss Sutton, a member of In- ternational Longshoreman Local 1402, was riding his 2013 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle northbound on U. S. Highway 41 approaching Riverview Drive.
Officials said Dexteroy Justin Brown, 20, of Seffner, who was driving a 2012 Mazda 3, was driving eastbound on Riverview Drive. Brown re- portedly made a left hand turn into the path of the motorcycle.
Upon impact, the front of
RODNEY CURTISS SUTTON
the motorcycle struck the pas- senger side of the vehicle. Sut- ton was ejected from the motorcycle onto the roadway, and died at the scene.
Brown received minor in- juries and was treated at the scene. Charges are pending and the investigation is contin- uing.
Accident Claims Life Of 3-Year-Old
Monique Harris and daughters Taqueria and Trinity.
According to Lee County authorities, four vehicles were slowing down for traffic Monday night on State Road 82 near Gunnery Road in Ft. Myers while traveling east when a Ford pickup truck failed to notice and slammed into the rear of a car driven by Monique Har- ris of Tampa.
In the car with Harris were her daughters, Trinity, 3, and Taqueria, 4. Both children were buckled in properly, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The impact caused Harris’ vehicle to hit a Kia that struck a Sub- aru and that vehicle hit a Nissan.
Trinity suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Harris and Taqueria were seriously injured, and are hos- pitalized at Tampa General Hospital.
Witnesses reported hearing three or four big bangs when the ve- hicle started ramming each other. Another witness reported seeing people trying to pull over to help Harris and her children get out of the car. One motorist pulled Trinity out of the car and adminis- tered CPR before emergency personnel arrived.
Authorities said alcohol was not a factor in the rash, and the in- vestigation remains open and charges are pending.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A