A Wilmington daycare owner has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
According to an Aug. 24 news release shared by the Department of Justice, Brenda Mathis pleaded guilty in federal court Aug. 12, to three counts of tax evasion. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews.
"Brenda Mathis' scheme to evade taxes for the purpose of lining her own pockets was a theft from the American public," U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss said in the release. "Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the interests of law-abiding taxpayers by pursuing those who evade taxes for their own enrichment.”
Mathis, the founder of LJ's Playpen Academy, a Wilmington daycare center, failed to declare all of the daycare's earnings on its corporate tax returns, according to court documents. As a result, in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the daycare underpaid taxes, the release reported.
“This guilty plea is a win for all those who play by the rules," IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty said in the release. "Mathis defrauded our nation’s tax system, a criminal act that will not be tolerated. Let her admission of guilt serve as a stern warning to anyone thinking about engaging in similar criminal behavior.”
When the defendant is sentenced Dec. 16, she faces a maximum of five years in prison for each count, according to the release. Andrews will impose a sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
