WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging a woman with filing false tax returns and wire fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. for the Middle District of Alabama.

According to the indictment, from February 2007 through May 2014, Alita Baker Edeker of Valley, Alabama stole over $500,000 of her employer’s funds for her own personal benefit and the benefit of others, by directing customer payments to debit and credit cards she controlled. The indictment further alleges that Edeker made false statements and representations in the company’s books and records in order to conceal her misappropriation. After misappropriating the funds, the indictment further alleges that Edeker willfully filed false U.S. individual income tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012, and 2013 that did not report the money.

If convicted Edeker faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. Edeker also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Franklin commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and the Auburn, Alabama Police Department, who investigated the case, and Tax Division Trial Attorney Grace Albinson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Baxley, who are prosecuting this case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.