‘Million dollar dreams’: Broward woman arrested for identity theft, tax fraud in RICO case

Monika Jenkins was arrested on Thursday in Broward County. (BSO)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A 33-year-old Broward County woman is facing federal charges on Friday in an organized scheme that involved dark web Marketplace transactions and hacking to steal millions from the IRS.

Monika Jenkins has been at Broward County’s main jail since Thursday with a U.S. Marshals hold, according to BSO’s public inmate database records.

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Investigators have an e-mail allegedly from Jenkins referring to the scheme as “million dollar dreams and federal nightmares,” according to prosecutors.

Jenkins’ mother is Broward County Clerk of Court Brenda D. Forman, formerly Brenda Jenkins, according to the Sun-Sentinel. A background check on Jenkins shows she is related to Brenda D. Jenkins.

Jenkins allegedly depended on co-conspirators who ran transactions on Marketplace as RICH4EVER4430 to acquire stolen login information for certified public accountants’ offices or tax preparation businesses.

Then Jenkins allegedly used it to remotely highjack computers and steal identities. In the case of Edvert Tax Prep in West Palm Beach, 1,000 fraudulent tax returns netted about $5 million in 2016.

Prosecutors did not disclose the identities of three of Jenkins’ eight co-conspirators. The five identified are Andy Jacks, Dickenson Elan, Michael Poix, Louis Michel, and Vladimyr Cherelus.

Prosecutors charged Jenkins with racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

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Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editors Wilson Louis and Guadalupe Monarrez contributed to this report.


About the Author

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.