A husband-and-wife duo has pleaded guilty to their participation in an IRS data breach that compromised the sensitive information of 700,000 individuals, reports The Hill.
Anthony Alika and Sonia Alika pleaded guilty to accessing IRS accounts and obtaining tax information to file fraudulent tax returns, according to the report. In addition, Mr. Alika pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering. He could serve a maximum of 20 years in prison. Also, Ms. Alika pleaded guilty to illegally structuring withdrawals to get around reporting requirements, and she could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the report.
The pair targeted the "Get Transcript" program, which allows taxpayers to check their tax history online. The breach was originally reported in May 2015, when the IRS reported 114,000 taxpayers were affected. In February, the IRS revised that number to exceed 700,000 individuals.
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