ASHBURN — As citizens begin filing their income tax returns, the US Attorney’s Office accepted the plea of an Ashburn woman as part of a large tax fraud scheme.

US Attorney Michael Moore’s office reported that Patrice Taylor, 33 of Ashburn, has entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in US District Court in Albany.

Taylor admitted as part of her plea that she conspired with her husband, Antonio Taylor, and Jarrett Jones to file over 1,100 fraudulent tax returns in 2011, 2012 and 2013.  All but 11 of the returns were filed electronically from IP addresses at her home.  She also used her cellphone to call IRS and the Automated Electronic Filing PIN Request 114 times.

She also filed her own return fraudulently, claiming a $6,776 refund.  She also used data of 14 real identities fraudulently.

Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in Federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for the wire fraud charges.  The identity theft charges can bring a minimum of 2 years in Federal prison, consecutively, and a maximum fine or an additional $250,000.