BEAVERCREEK — A man accused of stealing over $32 million in tax refunds is facing charges.
Christopher Dowtin, 48, of Georgia, is accused of changing two business accounts to his name and address.
He is also accused of pocketing millions of dollars in tax refunds, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio (SDOH) spokesperson.
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The IRS reportedly processed eight Change of Address or Responsible party-business forms in Dec. 2024 for two companies. When the requests were completed, Dowtin received two tax refund checks for those companies, one for over $32 million and another for over $26,000, SODH said.
Investigators say Dowtin traveled to Ohio and took the checks to a Morgan Stanley Office in Beavercreek where he “attempted to negotiate the funds into a brokerage account in a trust in his name,” SODH stated.
The financial advisor verified that the checks were valid U.S. Treasury checks, according to the Department of Justice.
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“The affidavit details that Dowtin told the Morgan Stanley financial advisor that the two companies were paying him for illegally using his ‘personhood.’ He said the payments owed to him had been transferred to him from the IRS. The financial advisor verified that the checks were valid U.S. Treasury checks,” said SODH.
Morgan Stanley contacted the Secret Service and IRS regarding both the suspicious nature of the checks and Dowtin’s supporting paperwork.
Law enforcement seized the checks, according to SODH.
Dowtin is charged with wire fraud and theft of public money.
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
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