Harriett Walters, an employee of the DC government Tax and Revenue Office was sent to jail on November 7, 2007, along with her niece, Jayrece Turnbull. The two have been accused in a property tax scheme that lasted over a period of seven years that looted the DC Treasury out of 20 million dollars.

Chief Financial Officer, Natwar Ghandhi forced his top managers in the Tax and Revenue Office, resignations for failing to catch the scam that raided the DC Treasury out of 20 - 30 million dollars in phony tax refunds.

On November 20, 2007, the DC City Council members met in a session and approved emergency legislation to create a special committee to investigate the tax scandal. This legislation will enable the City Council to issue subpoenas, hire legal counsel and consultants, in connection with its investigation into the scandal.

Walters, 51, is accused in a scheme that had refund checks written out to sham corporations and had her niece, Turnbull, 33, cashing the refund checks. Turnbull is accused of depositing and controlling the bank accounts in various banks in the US and possibly abroad.

The pair is being held in custody by federal authorities due to the risk of flight. Turnbull has ties to the Dominican Republic, where she owns a house and her mother lives in the US Virgin Islands. Walters has ties to the US Virgin Islands with a brother and sister that live on St. Thomas Virgin Islands.

On November 21, 2007, US Magistrate, Jeffrey Barnard in the US District Court, St. Thomas, VI, issued search warrants to search two residences located in St. Thomas. The residences belonging to the brother and sister of Walters located at 295 Hillside Drive and 5-1 Estate Sargenfri, St. Thomas. The search led by federal and local authorities did not report if anything was found at these residences, connecting Walter's siblings to the fruits of the poisonous tree.

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