A truck driver from Union City, Georgia, has admitted guilt in a mail fraud scheme involving fraudulent claims for COVID-19-related employment tax credits. Dantavious Jackson, 39, pleaded guilty to the charges and now faces up to 20 years in prison along with other penalties, according to Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Jackson operated a trucking business and also ran a side operation preparing tax forms for others. He was required by law to obtain a preparer identification number (PTIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and include it on each tax return he prepared for a fee.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), enacted on March 27, 2020, included an employee retention credit (ERC) designed to help businesses retain employees during the pandemic. This refundable tax credit could be claimed by filing IRS Form 941 for relevant quarters.
Between June 2022 and August 2023, Jackson prepared and filed thirty-five IRS Forms 941 that falsely claimed $4,112,297 in refunds based on fraudulent ERCs. The forms listed non-existent employees and wages, resulting in $1,567,855 in fraudulent refunds being issued by the U.S. Treasury.
Jackson did not identify himself as a preparer through his PTIN or any other means when filing these returns for clients—a practice known as being a “ghost preparer.”
Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office stated: “Jackson’s guilty plea serves as a reminder to those who committed fraud on programs under the CARES Act that they will be held accountable.” He added that investigations are ongoing into those who misappropriated funds intended for American workers and businesses.
