DELBARTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- It's tax time and most hope for the maximum return possible. Police said one couple turned that hope into a crime when they claimed something on their return that didn't belong to them.

They said the couple stole their neighbor's child's identity, went to the tax office and claimed her on their taxes as their child. It worked too, but, their excitement led to their demise.

“It's ridiculous,” Chief Stephen Hughes, Delbarton Police said.

Chief Hughes is still scratching his head over this one. A couple living in this apartment building in Delbarton reported that a sheet of paper with their 11-month-old daughter's full name, birth date and social security number was missing from their apartment.

“What she told me is she couldn't find it and didn't think a whole lot of it, but did report it to the housing authority that she couldn't find her child's information,” Chief Hughes said.

“It wasn't long before police caught up to Woodrow Prater Jr. and his wife, Amy Blanton. They lived right down the hall and quickly confessed to more than just taking the information.

“They were very honest with me that they took the information and marched straight to the tax office and filed their taxes,” Chief Hughes said.

It was just that easy and a tax return check for $4500 was on the way.

“He's got a different name, she's got a different name and no one questioned the child's name, which was different from them both. I just said, wow, how easy it is,” Chief Hughes said.

No one would have ever known accept that the proud couple told everyone.

“You gotta be either really desperate or heartless. On the way up to the jail, they were talking about a vehicle they wanted to buy and it was shocking how open they were about it,” the chief said.

“It's dirty all for a buck,” a local resident said.

So, now the big concern is how the victims are going to file their taxes and claim their own child. They are working with the IRS to navigate their way through this mess.

The couple is charged with obtaining money by false pretenses--which is a felony. But, police say federal charges are also pending.

The couple is out of jail on $1000 bond each and have been evicted from the apartment building.