A Peoria man filed 14 tax returns for 2020 & 2021 for businesses not operating and received almost $2 million in refunds.
PHOENIX — A Peoria man pleaded guilty to receiving almost $2 million in tax refunds after filing false claims for refunds.
According to a plea deal, Leslie Victor Gentry, 54, from Peoria, pleaded guilty to filing false claims for refund on April 8.
"Gentry knowingly prepared and submitted 14 false Form 941 tax returns for tax years 2020 and 2021," said the release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona.
The tax returns filed by Gentry were on behalf of two businesses that he and his wife owned, but they were not in operation for the years he filed.
"The tax returns claimed false COVID-related tax credits based on fictitious wages paid to fictitious employees. Gentry admitted that, in reality, the companies did not have any employees and did not pay any of the reported wages," according to the attorney's office.
Gentry received more than $1.8 milliions in tax returns in COVID-related tax credits that falsely reported on the returns while they didn't have any employees and did not pay the reported wages.
Gentry sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2026.
A conviction for Filing False Claims for Refund carries a maximum term of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution to the IRS, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division....
A Peoria man filed 14 tax returns for 2020 & 2021 for businesses not operating and received almost $2 million in refunds. PHOENIX — A Peoria man pleaded guilty to receiving almost $2 million in...