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Miami Man Sentenced In ID Theft Involving Florida College

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - A Miami man, caught filing false tax returns and using names stolen from a Florida community college, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison.

Charlton Escarmant, 29, was convicted of four fraud and ID theft charges in March. His partner in crime, Arthy Icart, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than five years in jail in April.

The duo, according to trial testimony, filed false tax returns using names from Tallahassee Community College's financial aid office. More than 3,200 names were found on Escarmant's computer.

About 400 fraudulent tax returns were filed seeking $3.3 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. They had the refunds loaded onto prepaid tax debit cards.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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