MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man faces a long list of charges after investigators said he used his ex-wife’s personal information to file taxes, forge checks, and even apply for a paycheck protection loan.
Joseph Chalmers, 62, faces 44 counts of identity theft, 44 counts of forgery, theft of property, and attempted theft.
According to the police affidavit, Chalmers and his ex-wife operated Checkfast Tax Service and another business called Da Hookup prior to their divorce in April 2012. She told investigators that in November 2020, she got an auditing statement for her 2018 taxes, and learned Chalmers had used her Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) to prepare taxes for the tax company, which she had not been a part of since 2014.
According to the affidavit, Chalmers had used his ex-wife’s EFIN to prepare taxes for Checkfast Tax Service in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Investigators said the money returned went into bank account formerly held by ‘Da Hookup’ business, and Chalmers forged his ex-wife’s name and EFIN on checks to use the money over the years.
Investigators said in the affidavit that Chalmers also applied for a total of more than $38,000 in Paycheck Protection Loans (PPP) in July 2020 and January 2021 using his ex-wife’s information. The affidavit said he did not collect money for the loans.
Investigators said the ex-wife lost more than $29,000 through the years.
