A federal grand jury in Florence has indicted Talisha Cooper, a 44-year-old resident of Coward, with 43 counts related to preparing false tax returns. Cooper, who worked as a tax return preparer and managed Tax Fusions in Florence, allegedly filed numerous fraudulent tax returns from 2019 to 2023.
The indictment accuses Cooper of falsifying various credits and deductions, including fuel tax credits, family and sick leave credits, employee business expenses, and Schedule C business profits or losses. The investigation uncovered a total of 43 false returns resulting in an alleged loss of $374,349.
Cooper was taken into custody and brought before a federal court for arraignment. If found guilty, she could face up to three years in federal prison along with a financial penalty.
The IRS Criminal Investigation unit led the investigation, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel.
It is important to note that the charges against Cooper are accusations at this stage. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
