Poplar Grove Woman Shameka Carr Sentenced to 87 Months for Filing Tax Returns With Stolen Identities

Case from 2016–2017 (U.S. Attorney's Office release: Feb. 16, 2016; later developments are from court records and other sources cited below). Published on Scammers.com Oct. 16, 2026; case status is current as of that date.

Shameka Carr, then of Poplar Grove, Ill., was indicted in federal court in Rockford in February 2016 on charges of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. Prosecutors said she filed fraudulent tax returns using stolen identities and had the refunds sent to prepaid debit cards and refund checks mailed to addresses she could reach in and around Rockford [1].

Outcome: Carr pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2017, to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft and admitted an intended tax loss of $1,026,284 [2]. On May 2, 2017, she was sentenced to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,764 in restitution to the IRS, the Justice Department announced [3].

How the scheme worked

According to court documents, as described by the Justice Department and IRS Criminal Investigation [1] [2]:

1. Stolen identities: From 2012 through 2014, Carr used people's names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth, without their knowledge or consent, to file income tax returns.
2. Fake refunds: The returns claimed refunds the filers weren't owed.
3. Routing the money: She had the refunds issued as prepaid debit cards and refund checks mailed to addresses in Rockford and nearby areas that she had access to.
4. Cashing in: She used the cards and checks to enrich herself.

The person charged

Shameka Carr, formerly of Poplar Grove, Ill. (30 at plea)

• Indictment (February 2016): mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and access device fraud [1].
• Plea (Jan. 24, 2017): guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft; admitted an intended tax loss of $1,026,284 [2].
• Sentence (May 2, 2017): 87 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $365,764 in restitution to the IRS [3].
• Investigation: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Boone County Sheriff's Department; prosecuted by the Justice Department's Tax Division [2].

Signs your identity was used for tax fraud

• The IRS rejects your e-filed return because one was already filed under your Social Security number.
• A letter from the IRS about a return you didn't file, or asking you to verify your identity.
• A W-2 or 1099 from an employer you've never worked for.
• Prepaid debit cards or Treasury checks arriving in someone else's name at an address you share.

What to do if it happens to you

1. File IRS Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit), or follow the instructions in the IRS letter you received.
2. Get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS at irs.gov/ippin so no one else can file under your number.
3. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
Shameka Carr, formerly of Poplar Grove, Ill.	N.D. Ill., Western Division (Rockford)	Indicted February 2016; pleaded guilty Jan. 24, 2017, to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft; sentenced May 2, 2017, to 87 months and $365,764 restitution	[1], [2], [3]

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Poplar Grove Woman Charged in Stolen Identity Fraud Scheme," Feb. 16, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/poplar-grove-woman-charged-stolen-identity-fraud-scheme
2. IRS Criminal Investigation, "Illinois Woman Pleads Guilty in Stolen Identity Tax Fraud Scheme," CI Release CI-2017-01-24-B, Jan. 24, 2017. https://www.irs.gov/pub/foia/ig/ci/ci-2017-01-24-b.pdf
3. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Illinois Woman Sentenced to Prison for Filing Tax Returns Using Stolen IDs," May 2017. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/illinois-woman-sentenced-prison-filing-tax-returns-using-stolen-ids

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