24 IRS Workers Theft: What Kind Of Government Benefits Did IRS Employees Steal?

24 IRS workers will face charges of stealing government benefits totaling over $250,000. According to the US attorney's office in Memphis, the employees illegally received unemployment insurance payments, food stamps, welfare assistance and housing vouchers.

13 of the employees face federal charges of making false statements while applying for or recertifying their government benefits. The 13 allegedly lied about their income levels in order to receive unemployment. They each face up to 5 years in prison if convicted.

11 others are facing state charges of theft of property over $1,000, a felony that could land them probation or up to 12 years in prison if convicted, according to the Christian Post.

"While these IRS employees were supposed to be serving the public, they were instead brazenly stealing from law-abiding American taxpayers," U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton said in a statement.

The AP reported that those charged range in age from 28 to 64 and include residents of Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee as well as Southaven, Mississippi. The names of the individuals have not been given.

An investigation named "Operation Double Dip", designed to find IRS employees who were illegally receiving government benefits, had been spearheaded by the US Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It coincided with a state audit that found $73 million had been overpaid by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 24 state employees received over $126,000 in unemployment benefits. $12,387 was being allotted to 7 individuals who turned out to be deceased.

"Both current and former employees, they were just bilking money from the government, from the state and federal government- housing, unemployment, food stamps, welfare, all of that," Jeff Hentschel, spokesman for the Tennessee Labor Department, told the newspaper The Tennesseean. "You would expect better from an IRS agent. We all expect better from all of our government employees."

A news conference scheduled to announce the indictments was canceled due to "unforeseen events", said US attorney's office spokesman Rodney King, who did not elaborate. It was thought that the cancellation may have been related to the recently opened FBI investigation into letters sent to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator containing the poison ricin. The letters were postmarked as coming from Memphis.

District Attorney for Shelby County Amy Weirich also denounced the employees, saying they were stealing from taxpayers.

"The taxes that we pay are supposed to support our nation and assist individuals in need, not free-loaders who are gaming the system," she said.