SCDOR arresting more individuals involved in Mt. Pleasant refund scam

The South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) is currently investigating a tax refund scam involving numerous individuals in the Mt. Pleasant and Charleston area, and another arrest was made this morning.

Tameka Coakley was arrested today for one count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of forgery. If convicted of the charges, Coakley could face penalties of up to $500 in fines and/or 10 years in prison.

Upon reviewing Coakley’s 2008 income tax returns, investigators from SCDOR determined Coakley’s state tax return was filed by a tax preparer using fraudulent W2 forms provided by Coakley from her employer. The investigation revealed that Coakley worked for this employer in 2008, but she manipulated the wages and withholding information and thus received a SC income tax refund of $685.

Tameka Coakley is the fourth individual thus far to be arrested by SCDOR for tax fraud surrounding this tax refund scam in the Charleston area.