Las Vegas Agent Sentenced for $15 Million Pandemic Tax Fraud Scheme

July 16, 2026 - 17:33

A Las Vegas real estate agent has been ordered to serve 18 months in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded the government out of roughly $15 million through bogus pandemic-era tax credit claims, according to federal prosecutors.

The woman, whose name was not disclosed in the initial report, submitted fraudulent filings for employee retention tax credits, a program designed to help businesses keep workers on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors said she fabricated payroll records and claimed nonexistent employees to inflate the refunds she received from the Internal Revenue Service.

The scheme ran for several months during the height of the pandemic, when the government was rapidly approving relief applications to keep the economy afloat. Investigators uncovered the fraud after noticing patterns of suspicious claims tied to the same individual. Court documents showed she used the money for personal expenses, including luxury purchases and real estate investments.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered her to pay full restitution to the IRS. The case is part of a broader crackdown by federal authorities on pandemic relief fraud, which has resulted in hundreds of convictions nationwide. Prosecutors noted that the defendant exploited a system meant to help struggling small businesses, and her actions undermined public trust in emergency aid programs.

The sentencing sends a clear message that pandemic-related fraud will not be tolerated, officials said. The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation division.