Georgia Couple Pleads Guilty in IRS ‘Get Transcript’ Data Breach

The Georgia couple accused of playing a role in the May 2015 IRS “Get Transcript” breach that allegedly compromised information for as many as 700,000 taxpayer accounts have pleaded guilty to a district court for their roles in the online break-in. According to the Department of Justice press release, Anthony Alika pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering while his wife Sonia Alika pleaded guilty to one count of illegally structuring cash withdrawals to evade bank reporting requirements. The couple was further accused of working with others to steal personal information in order to break into the IRS “Get Transcript” database, which was then used to file fraudulent returns using the stolen information. The two were further charged in January of laundering the money gained onto debit cards registered in the names of some of the stolen accounts. If convicted, Anthony faces 20 years in prison and Sonia faces 10 years.