An IRS manager and his wife were arrested as part of the widening D.C. property tax scam that has led to the arrests of 10 people so far.
Robert O. Steven and his wife Patricia were charged with receipt of stolen property in connection with a scheme allegedly run by Harriette Walters of the District of Columbia's Office of Tax and Revenue. Walters and several of her co-workers and relatives have been accused of awarding at least $20 million of bogus property tax refunds that they used to purchase homes, cars and luxury goods.
Steven and his wife allegedly deposited at least 11 checks totaling over $2.8 million into an account they had opened. The now-separated couple are accused of using some of the money to purchase four Jaguar cars for a total of $257,866.
Steven has worked for the IRS for 32 years and currently is the division director of modernization information technology systems there. The couple faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
