Tennessee Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to $80M Pandemic-Relief Fraud Scheme
Renata Walton, owner of a tax preparation business in Moscow, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to running a massive fraud scheme that diverted about $80 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Between March 2022 and August 2023, Walton and her employee, Nicole Jones, filed false tax returns claiming employee retention credits and paid sick and family leave credits for clients who were not entitled to them. They also submitted bogus applications for Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans to the Small Business Administration using fabricated wage reports and tax forms. The fraud resulted in clients receiving inflated refunds, sometimes exceeding $100,000,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Mar 2026 10:36
