Brooksville man accused of stealing date’s tax refund
BROOKSVILLE –
Financial records show he paid his personal bills using a federal tax refund totaling more than $4,200.
He got arrested because the refund belonged to someone else, police said.
Carl Desmond, 48, of 7189 Twin Brook St., was charged Thursday with grand theft, misuse of personal identification and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Desmond, who also goes by the aliases Chase Masters and Herbert Martinez, recently met the victim through the Internet dating website Plenty of Fish, said Brooksville Police Chief George Turner.
After a few dates, he offered to file an electronic tax return on her behalf and she accepted, police said.
“She dropped off her information in the morning at his house and came back after work. He told her he couldn’t give her the copy of her return because it was all done online,” Turner said. “He cut off contact with her and then she called the (Internal Revenue Service).”
The IRS told the victim, who lives in Pasco County, to contact local authorities. Two weeks ago, she walked into the Brooksville station and filed a report, said Turner.
Detectives learned her refund was deposited into a TurboTax account that could be accessed by a debit card.
TurboTax offers online software for people to file their tax returns.
The victim, with police assistance, contacted TurboTax and froze the account, but not until after two-thirds of the refund had already been spent, said Turner.
Desmond used some of the money for a Progressive Insurance policy and his monthly electric bill, according to police.
He also used the card to make several automated teller machine withdrawals throughout the city, Turner said.
Police said they are still tracking some of the suspect’s purchases and transactions.
A search warrant was served on the suspect Thursday and his home computer was collected as evidence, police said. He was arrested soon thereafter.
Desmond’s neighbors told authorities they have seen “lots of females coming in and out of his residence,” said Turner.
“There could be other people out there who have been victimized by this guy,” he said.
Desmond was booked at the Hernando County Jail. His bond was set at $20,000.
Court records show he was arraigned in December 2009 on a separate fraud charge. He was accused of using a false name on an application for an identification card.
He still has not been tried on the charge because a judge ruled in April 2010 he was mentally or physically unfit to stand trial.
Turner is asking anyone else who might have been victimized by Desmond to contact his agency at 352-540-3800.
