More waiting for Mo Money customers

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A WAVY.com viewer contacted WAVY Sunday to report he cannot cash the refund check he received in the mail from Mo Money Taxes.

The viewer says he received the check mid-week in a Priority envelope. He sent us a picture of the check. The bank listed on it as "City National Bank Trust Co," based in Oklahoma.

As of Saturday evening, WAVY.com has heard from one Mo Money Taxes customer who received a refund in the mail and one customer who received a refund by direct deposit.

Others are waiting to see if their checks will come Monday, after the CEO said they were mailed out Friday.

Gladys Johnson, who received a check mid-week via FedEx, could find only one location that would cash her check. Johnson says she was contacted by the cashier Saturday, saying the check did not clear in the company's account. She is waiting to hear if she will have to return the money.

Friday brought more confusion and more frustration for customers of Mo Money Taxes.

CEO Markey Granberry told WAVY.com Thursday, he would mail the remaining refund checks Friday.

But according to some customers,  Norfolk employees told them to pick the checks up in person.

Customer Angela Ester said she heard from Patrick Townsend, owner of the Mo Money Taxes on East Little Creek Road, by phone during the week.

"Patrick called me from Memphis," Ester. "He said all checks were going to be distributed Friday the tenth. I said, 'Can you give me a time?' He said, 'No, I can't give you a time'."

Ester said Townsend would not answer her calls Friday. She added his voicemail was full.

Another customer waiting outside the Granby Street location shared a voicemail with WAVY.com. The customer said the voicemail came from a restricted number.

The recording said:

"This is Scratchy, Scratchy from Mo Money. I was calling to let you know they'll have your check ready, man. I was trying to get somebody to get in contact with you, so you can come pick it up. But, sorry for the inconvenience or whatever, man. But we was going to get y'all your money, man. People trying to make us sound bad."

Others called the Internal Revenue Service to inquire about the accounts their refund checks were deposited in. Many received routing numbers and account numbers affiliated with Value Bank of Texas.

"They gave me the account number, but at the end is my whole Social Security number where I'm holding my thumb at," said one customer, as she showed WAVY.com her notes.

The customer called the bank and a representative told her an account with that number does not exist. WAVY.com received many similar complaints.

"What's your confidence level at this point?" a WAVY.com reporter asked Ester. "Zero," Ester exclaimed. "Ze-ro."

All Mo Money Taxes locations in Norfolk remain closed. Granberry said the Norfolk employees are home in Memphis.

One customer contacted WAVY.com Thursday to report he received his refund check by direct deposit. He said the check came from "up2ullcgr."

In a phone interview , Granberry told WAVY.com Up2U is a processor used by Mo Money Taxes. Granberry said the processor is based in California.

Police and the IRS continue to investigate Mo Money Taxes.

Police say Mo Money Taxes processed 1,700 tax returns in Norfolk. No arrests have been made.

To see a copy of one of the six search warrants, click here . WAVY.com's interviews with CEO Markey Granberry and Norfolk employee Keith Hill are cited on the search warrants.

Viewers asked WAVY.com to look into the background of the Norfolk employees. A simple search shows, the owners listed on the business license for East Little Creek Road, Keith Hill and Patrick Townsend, are part of a hip hop duo by the name of "Swat/Game."

Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia, Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee are asking the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Mo Money Taxes, according to Congressman Scott's office.

WAVY.com brought customers' complaints to Congressman Scott's attention earlier this week.