The last person facing charges in the theft of $48 million from the District’s tax coffers is expected to plead guilty today, ending the investigative phase of the largest public corruption scandal in the city’s history.
Jayrece Turnbull, 34, the niece of the woman dubbed the scam’s mastermind, Harriette Walters, will be the 13th and likely final person to plead guilty in the tax fraud scheme. She is scheduled to appear in federal court in Greenbelt this afternoon to admit to charges of mail fraud, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit money laundering and tax evasion.
Walters, who pleaded guilty last month, is expected to receive between 15 to 18 years in the scam, although Judge Emmett Sullivan could impose a stiffer penalty.
Prosecutors say Turnbull, of Bowie, was Walters’ closest ally, and that the duo lived a lavish lifestyle, spending the money to travel around the world and go on buying binges and gambling sprees.
As part of the agreement, Turnbull is expected to forfeit two homes in the Dominican Republic, a 2005 Mercedes Benz, jewelry, designer handbags and fur hats.
It was Turnbull’s actions that aroused the suspicions of a SunTrust bank clerk in Bowie who ultimately led authorities to the decades-long scam. After depositing a $410,000 check into an account in the name of a fake business, First American Home, Turnbull tried to transfer $200,000 to another account. When the banker asked Turnbull to provide documents showing she was authorized to transfer funds out of the First American Home account, Turnbull became verbally abusive, court documents said.
She then went to Prince George’s County and filed a trade-name application, in the name of First American Home. She also forged a letter on District of Columbia letterhead to vouch for the check.
When she returned with the paperwork, SunTrust officials noticed that it had been filed after they started asking questions.
That’s when the federal authorities got involved and the scheme unraveled.
