An Arizona woman pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to defraud the government of $7.7 million through falsified tax records, federal officials announced.
Regina Durkin of New River submitted false quarterly employment tax returns and claimed credits she was not entitled to, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said Durkin and co-conspirators sought fraudulent tax refunds based on credits offered to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their companies had no employees and paid no wages at the time.
They submitted 14 claims that were found to be fraudulent.
“No matter the scheme, the agency or the program involved, those who cheat on their taxes for personal enrichment undermine the very foundation of public trust,” Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said in a press release. “We will protect the integrity of our tax system and ensure that those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of honest citizens face the full weight of federal prosecution.”
Durkin is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11 after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false claims. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
“Our work continues as we find and prosecute individuals like Ms. Durkin who took a benefit meant to help the public during a crisis and used it instead to line their own pockets,” District of Arizona U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in the release.
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