FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — A former Fayetteville IRS revenue agent pleaded guilty Friday (Jan. 5) to two counts of false representation of a social security number and aggravated identity theft.
As part of his duties as a revenue agent, Ryan Payne conducted an audit of a business for the tax year 2010, according to court records. The owner of the business gave Payne a flash drive containing business records and personal information, according to records.
After leaving the IRS in 2015, Payne retained the flash drive and compromised the business owner’s identity, the records to state.
According to court records, he set up a credit account using the business owner’s name and social security number without authorization.
