A Queen Dethroned

Some time ago I shared with you faithful readers, who now number in the tens, the story of Tampa's own Rashia Wilson, 27 and the mother of three, who managed to scam the IRS out of $3 million and change.  It has since gotten worse.

How did Rashia, who looks like an emaciated Snooki, pull it off?  Simple.  Using wire fraud and identity theft schemes, she e-filed easily prepared incom tax return forms and then waited for the refunds to be deposited into her bank accounts.  These refunds enabled a lavish lifestyle, which included a $30k birthday party for her 1-year-old and $90k for a new Audi.

How was she caught?  Bet you think that due diligence on the part of the IRS and a follow-up FBI investigation tripped her up.  Ha!  Silly you.  Instead, she bragged about what she had done on Facebook.  Someone saw what she had written and tipped off the feds.

"I'm Rashia, the queen of IRS tax fraud," she posted.  "I'm a millionaire for the record, so if U think indicting me will B easy it won't, I promise you!  U need more than black and white to hold me down N that's to da rat who went N told, as if 1st lady don't have the TPD under her spell.  I run Tampa right now."

When the federal government's bloated budget involves juggling trillions of dollars daily, $3 mil is pocket change.  Its loss was certainly not enough to distract the IRS from its Inspector Javert-like doggedness in thwarting applications for tax-exempt status from pesky right-wing organizations.  After all, one must set priorities.

But losing money is one thing; losing face is quite another.  So when Rashia publicly thumbed her nose at its ineptitude, the IRS finally rallied the troops.  In a joint effort that would have made Eliot Ness envious, the IRS Criminal Investigations division teamed with the Secret Service, US Postal Inspection Service, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Police Department to bring her down.

Rashia's attorneys worked out a deal wherein she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft.  Came then the sob stories and the psycho-babble.

Psychologist Valerie McClain testified that Rashia, a seventh-grade dropout and daughter of a cocaine-addicted mother and incarcerated father, suffers from bipolar disorder, dysfunctional upbringing and manic-phase behavior.  What looks like audacity on her Facebook posting, the Jennifer Melfi wannabe analyzed, is simply a manifestation of her illness.  Clearly her devils made her do it.

The judge, his common sense uncompromised by the aberrant DRD4 gene that afflicts Valerie, didn't buy the bleeding heart diagnosis.  "I cannot ignore the fact that she stole over $3 million from the government," he said.  He sentenced her to 21 years in the slam and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $3.1 million.

"What a joke," you're probably thinking.  "How's she going to pay back $3.1 mil?"

Ah, but see, the plea arrangement had been signed off on before it became obvious that the total amount with which she made off was closer to $20 mil.  Nevertheless, the judge honored the agreement.  Assuming she has the remaining $17 mil stashed somewhere, having the cash is not Raisha's problem.  Her problem is trying to spend it.  If she dips into her "savings" for the $3 mil the feds will be all over her like a wetsuit on a SCUBA diver.

I bet you're also thinking, "Well, Uncle Dave, at least she's going to prison for 21 years.  That's the rest of her youth spent locked up in the slam."

Aww, that's sooo cute!  You actually believe she'll do all 21 years.  How precious!  She'll be eligible for parole after serving seven.  Even if she doesn't cut a deal for a reduction in sentence in exchange for whatever is left of the unaccounted for $17 mil, there's no way she's going to do 21.  No one does 21 for nonviolent crimes.

There are even murderers who don't do 21 years.