A calculator and pen on top of tax paperwork.

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A York woman plotted an elaborate scheme to steal more than $1 million from the IRS by filing fake tax documents and a bogus check, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday, August 13.

Queen Naja, 44, also known as Renata Winifred Ince and Naja Talibah Zahir, worked with 42-year-old Quentin Diego Sturgeon of Montgomery, Alabama, to carry out the plan, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.

The two met through social media in April 2021, when Naja proposed creating a legal trust, submitting fraudulent paperwork to the IRS, and using a counterfeit check to trigger a massive refund, prosecutors said.

Following her instructions, Sturgeon created a trust naming himself as trustee, then sent multiple fake documents to the IRS claiming tax payments had been made. Naja then submitted a payment voucher and a bogus check, after which Sturgeon filed paperwork requesting a refund for an overpayment, authorities said.

The scheme worked — the IRS issued a U.S. Treasury check for $1,010,561.26.

Sturgeon later admitted in court that he used the stolen funds to purchase high-end personal items, including a Mercedes-Benz.

Both Naja and Sturgeon face up to 20 years in federal prison, substantial fines, and restitution when sentenced in the coming months. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This verdict should send a clear warning that if you defraud the United States government, you will be held accountable,” Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson said.

The IRS Criminal Investigation division and Montgomery Police Department investigated the case.