Judge sentences last of sisters in tax fraud, identity theft scheme

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A judge has sentenced a Milwaukee woman to 10 years in prison for a tax fraud and an identity-theft scheme involving her sisters and two other accomplices.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Wagner on Wednesday sentenced Tawanda Staten to 10 years in prison and eight years of extended supervision, according to a news release. She was also ordered to pay $202,520 in restitution to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Staten and her two sisters, Angela and Sharon, were cited with 90 felony charges in February 2015 for filing fraudulent income tax returns following a two-year investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s Office of Criminal Investigation.

Angela Staten was sentenced to 14 years in prison and 14 years of extended supervision. Sharon Staten was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision.

The sisters were prosecuted by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for filing 2,000 fraudulent tax returns over two years. They attempted to collect more than $900,000 in fake tax refunds. Follow @erikastrebel