By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A LaPlace man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to tax fraud charges stemming from a scheme in which he and his wife bought identity information from other individuals, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

Derek Campbell, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing false tax returns.

The charges were part of an indictment that also includes Campbell’s wife Shondrell Campbell, who is charged with an additional eight counts of aiding in the filing of false tax returns.

According to the indictment, which was returned in April, the Campbells, who operated Unlimited Tax Service in LaPlace, were accused of conspiring to buy the identities of individuals who generally do not earn enough to file income tax returns. The illicitly purchased information was then used by Shondrell Campbell to electronically file tax returns for the 2004 tax year and steal the fraudulent refunds.

The victims who sold the identity information admitted to the sale, but said they did not give permission to the Campbells to file returns on their behalf. Both victims also confirmed that all information included on the false returns, including wages, business income and dependency exemptions, were not provided to the Campbells.

The fraudulent returns produced a refund of $5,200, which the Campbells pocketed, according to the indictment.

Shondrell Campbell is set for trial in February 2012 on the remaining counts in the indictment.

Derek Campbell will be sentenced in March 2012.

The case was investigated by agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. and Jordan Ginsberg of the Financial and Computer Crime Unit.