Montgomery woman pleads guilty in tax fraud case

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A central Alabama woman has pleaded guilty to gathering personal information that was used to file fraudulent tax refunds. Department of Justice officials say Lea'Tice Phillips, a former state employee, had access to state databases containing personal information. Authorities say Phillips used her state email account to send personal information to a co-conspirator, Antoinette Djonret, who then used the information to file fraudulent tax returns. Officials say the women recruited others to buy prepaid debit cards they could use to launder the money. Officials say the women filed more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns and claimed about $1.7 million. A sentencing date has not been set for Phillips. Djonret has already been sentenced to 12 years in prison.