Peter D. Leary, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia
A Southwest Georgia resident, Reginald Knight, was found guilty by a federal jury in Albany of engaging in a fraudulent tax filing scheme. Knight, 52, from Arlington, Georgia, was convicted on one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. The trial lasted two days, starting on February 18. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is overseeing the case and will set a sentencing date later.
Knight could face up to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker stated that Knight fabricated claims to obtain refunds for a non-existent business: "The defendant was claiming millions in refunds for a business that never generated income or incurred any losses."
Lisa Fontanette from the IRS Criminal Investigation's Atlanta Field Office emphasized the implications for dishonest tax preparers: "The guilty verdict serves as a notice to unscrupulous tax preparers that filing fraudulent tax returns will lead them to a criminal court date."
Court documents revealed that Knight filed a false tax return on March 13, 2018, claiming over $3 million in wages and other financials which were entirely fabricated. The IRS began investigating him in 2021 after discovering similar patterns in his previous filings for 2014 through 2016. While no refunds were issued for some years, Knight received $745,953 for the year 2016.
Knight used this refund to fund personal expenses including building a new home and transferring money into an investment account. Of the total amount misused, $315,466.97 was recovered by the IRS.
This conviction follows Knight's prior federal conviction in Florida related to defrauding the government through false claims for tax refunds back in November 2005.
The investigation is being conducted by the IRS Criminal Division and IRS Special Enforcement Program with Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis prosecuting the case.