A massive tax refund scam involving a fake identity, a stolen check, and over $800,000 in misused funds has come to light. Steven Ware, a 64-year-old man from Yonkers, New York, has admitted in federal court to carrying out a bold and calculated fraud. Using stolen personal information of a Connecticut investment company executive, he was able to access government funds, set up fake bank accounts, and go on a spending spree across multiple states. Authorities have now confirmed his guilty plea and detailed the steps he took to carry out the crime.
Fake Identity Used to Steal Massive Tax Refund
Steven Ware, the man at the center of the case, appeared in federal court in Boston and admitted to one count of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, in December 2023, Ware went to a credit union located in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, where he used a fake identity to open bank accounts. He used the name, date of birth, Social Security number, and forged documents belonging to a real executive at a Connecticut-based investment company.
A short time later, Ware returned to the credit union posing as the executive. He deposited a check issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury worth $810,337, which was made payable to both the investment company and the actual executive. The deposit went through, and Ware gained full access to the funds.
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Lavish Spending and Wire Transfers Across States
With the check successfully cleared, Ware wasted no time. He began using a debit card linked to the fraudulent account to make purchases in New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. These transactions included spending on various goods from retailers across the three states.
His fraudulent activity didn’t end with retail purchases. Ware made multiple visits back to the Tyngsborough credit union, still pretending to be the executive. Over several weeks, he executed a series of wire transfers, moving more than $634,000 out of the account. His actions quickly caught the attention of federal investigators.
Ware was arrested in September 2024, and a grand jury indicted him the following month. The arrest was the result of swift work by multiple law enforcement agencies.
Guilty Plea and Potential Prison Time
Ware entered his guilty plea before U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young, who has scheduled sentencing for October 8, 2025. The penalties he faces are severe. The bank fraud charge alone could lead to up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
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Each of the aggravated identity theft charges carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must be served in addition to any sentence for bank fraud. These charges can also result in up to $250,000 in fines.
The case was brought forward by a joint effort between federal and local law enforcement agencies. The official announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, who was joined by Ted E. Docks, the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge for the Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Boston; Ketty Larco-Ward, who leads the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in the Boston area; and Michael Carpenter, the Special Agent in Charge at the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
The Tyngsborough Police Department also provided key assistance in the case. Prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit.