B.R. Woman Sentenced In Tax Fraud Case

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A 42-year-old Baton Rouge woman must begin a four-year federal prison term March 14 for her admitted role in a conspiracy to steal more than $240,000 from taxpayers.

The Advocate reports that Levonne Stewart received the sentence Wednesday from U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson. The judge also ordered her to pay restitution of $70,485 to the federal government.

U.S. Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux Jr. said Thursday that Stewart conspired with others to obtain names and Social Security numbers of various people and to prepare fraudulent federal tax returns. Some of those names and Social Security numbers were of residents at area nursing homes.