Maryland Man Admits to Role in Sophisticated Scheme to Defraud the IRS

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - A Maryland man has admitted to his role in a financial fraud scheme involving stolen United States Treasury checks, fraudulent business registrations, and illicit withdrawals from newly created bank accounts, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.

Gregory Dean, 33, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment and statements made in court, Dean and others participated in a scheme beginning in October 2024 to fraudulently obtain U.S. Treasury checks issued to legitimate businesses and individuals. The conspirators allegedly created or incorporated entities with names similar to the intended payees and submitted applications through the IRS's Modernized Internet Employer Identification Number (MOD IEIN) portal, processed at the IRS facility in Martinsburg, to obtain Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) for those fraudulent entities. They used the EINs to open business bank accounts, deposit stolen Treasury checks, and quickly withdraw funds before the fraud could be detected. Relevant to Dean's plea, the conspirators submitted an electronic EIN application for "Williams Homes Inc." that was transmitted to the IRS processing center in Martinsburg. The assigned EIN was used to open a bank account in the business's name in which a treasury check, in the amount of $342,320.00 and payable to a real business, was deposited.

Two other Maryland men, Tijuan Arrington and David Walters, have also been charged with multiple counts of wire fraud. They are scheduled for trial in November 2026.

Dean is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor F. Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is investigating.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.