A former Palm Beach County School police officer has been sentenced for filing a false income tax return.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said 57-year-old Ronnie Arnest Williams, who worked at Lake Worth High School, pleaded guilty to filing that false return for the 2017 tax year.
A judge sentenced him to time served and 12 months of supervised release.
Prosecutors said Williams contacted a Lake Worth High School student and her mom, asking for the names of children he could claim as dependents on his income tax return.
Williams wanted two childrens' names and social security numbers to get a bigger refund, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A report obtained by Contact 5 said Williams offered to pay up to $1,400 per child and pay the mother $1,000 for her help. However, the mom turned Williams into his supervisors, which sparked an investigation by the FBI and IRS.
Williams, who had worked in law enforcement for approximately 32 years, resigned as a school police officer.
