IRS Employee Charged with Tax Fraud

Memphis, TN – Linda Williams, 52, of Memphis, Tennessee, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax examiner, was indicted for defrauding the IRS by filing false tax returns for various tax payers in the Memphis area. Williams claimed over $500,000 in false deductions for these citizens. Many of these citizens were unaware of the false deductions discovered on their tax returns. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney, announced the indictment today.

According to the indictment, from 2015 to 2017, Williams executed a scheme to prepare and file false tax returns for friends and family members. The tax returns contained false deductions to inflate tax payers’ refunds. Specifically, these deductions were pertaining to medical expenses, charitable contributions and business expenses. Williams would then take a portion from the refunds and transfer the funds to her personal bank account.

Williams was indicted for filing (10) false tax returns. She faces up to three years imprisonment for this offense and a fine in the amount of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Protection of the United States Treasury and individual taxpayers is a core value and critical mission for this office and the Department of Justice. Whenever there is fraud against our tax system, we will use all available resources to expose, punish, and deter such dishonest criminal behavior. I commend the outstanding investigation by our federal law enforcement partners in this important case."

The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated this case.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and convicted through due process of law.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon K. Griffin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

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