Former prison guard pleads guilty to tax fraud, stealing inmates' identities

A former correctional officer has pleaded guilty to committing tax fraud using inmates' identities.

Investigators say Jerry St. Fleur, 26, was working at the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility when he used Florida Department of Corrections databases to access the personal identifying information of inmates between January 2011 and May 2014.

St. Fleur then used the information to file 182 fraudulent tax returns, investigators said. The total amount of fraudulent funds requested in those returns is estimated to be over $500,000, investigators said.

St. Fleur pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not been set.