Ocean Springs Woman Pleads Guilty To Knowingly Filing False Tax Return

Gulfport, Miss – Lisa Gordon-Scruggs, 52, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to filing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Gordon-Scruggs was the Chief Operating Officer and office manager of Highside Chemicals, Inc. (“Highside”) in Gulfport, Mississippi during the investigative period: 2013 through 2018.  Based on her position and access to the bank account of Highside, Gordon-Scruggs embezzled over $2 million dollars which she funneled into accounts owned by herself or to pay off credit cards in her name and a family member. 

Gordon-Scruggs pled guilty to one count of knowingly filing a false income tax report for tax year 2014 in that she reported taxable income of $34,907 but did not include the $446,423 that she had embezzled from Highside that year.

Gordon-Scruggs will be sentenced on October 16, 2020 by Judge Ozerden, and faces maximum penalties of 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.