Duluth woman charged with multiple tax crimes

The Minnesota Department of Revenue says that St. Louis County Attorney’s Office recently charged Jody Kay Vaughn-Bey, of Duluth, with 16 felony counts of filing false or fraudulent property tax returns. She’s also charged with one felony count of identity theft relating to the fraudulent property tax returns.

The complaint states that Ms. Vaughn-Bey stole the identities of 16 individuals, forged signatures, and falsified Certificates of Rent Paid (CRP) to file fraudulent property tax returns and get property tax refunds.

Allegedly, the individuals listed on the returns had no knowledge of the filings and in many cases never resided at the addresses listed on the returns.

The Revenue investigator contacted the rental companies listed on the CRPs and confirmed that the documents were not produced by them and that in several instances their signatures were forged.

The complaint alleges that through these fraudulent filings, Ms. Vaughn-Bey claimed or tried to claim more than $36,000 in property tax refunds.

Each tax-related felony charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.