Tracey R. Allison, 47, of Antioch, Tennessee, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury and charged with theft of government property; five counts of wire fraud; and five counts of aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Allison, employed by the IRS at its Franklin, Tennessee office, is accused of faking military duty orders in order to receive paid leave from her employer.
According to the indictment, Allison was discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve in August 2012 and enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard on July 5, 2018. The indictment alleges that while employed by the IRS, between November 2013 and October 2018, Allison regularly submitted forms used by the Department of the Army, to the Payroll and Personnel Systems Unit of the IRS, to record reserve duty and receive payment. Each form submitted bore the forged signature and Department of Defense identification number of Allison’s former commanding officer, who was actually retired and ceased supervising Allison in July 2013.
During the five-year scheme, the indictment alleges that Allison submitted approximately 70 fraudulent forms and collected paid military leave and other benefits totaling $22,864.24, even though she had no authorized military duty status for those dates.
If convicted, Allison faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud; up to 10 years in prison for theft of government property; and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft; and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
