COLUMBIA, SC — Two Columbia residents were charged Wednesday in a 66-count indictment for tax fraud, identity theft and mail fraud, among other charges.

Johnny Lee Morgan, 32, and Seanna Sumter, 32, are accused by the federal government of stealing or purchasing the identities of 42 people and filing fraudulent tax returns in the victims’ names from January 2009 until April 2010. In all, refund checks totalling more than $106,000 were sent to addresses or bank accounts controlled by Morgan and Sumter, U.S. attorney Bill Nettles said in a news release. Morgan and Sumter were living together at the time of the alleged crimes.

In a news release accompanying the indictments, the Internal Revenue Service said new efforts are in place to ward against identity theft and fradulent tax filings. In 2012, the IRS launched 900 investigations and indicted 500 people for identity theft.

Rachael Myers Lowe