A federal grand jury has returned indictments in two separate tax-related cases, United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee announced on Apr. 7.
The indictments address alleged efforts to defraud the U.S. government and failures to pay required employment taxes, underscoring ongoing efforts by authorities to protect taxpayers and enforce compliance with federal tax laws.
In the first case, Yoshi Dawn Matthews and her son Ricky Darnell Matthews, both income tax preparers from Memphis, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing federal income tax returns containing materially false statements. The indictment alleges that between February 2019 and January 2023, Yoshi Dawn Matthews prepared or caused others to prepare returns falsely claiming fuel tax credits using DYM Financial Services operated by Ricky Darnell Matthews. Both are also charged with making false statements on their own returns. The total estimated loss is approximately $1,438,000.
The second indictment charges Julie Robinson Wade, a business owner in Memphis who fabricated and installed granite fixtures, with failing to pay over employment taxes collected from her employees’ wages between 2019 and 2022. The indictment states that Wade did not file Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns nor remit withheld federal income taxes or Social Security and Medicare contributions during this period. The unpaid amount totals about $147,676. A report date for this case is set for April 21 before U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Lea.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, “During tax filing season and the entire year, we are acting decisively to protect innocent taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury. We commend the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI in these significant tax fraud cases.”
Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Charlotte Field Office said: “Dishonest tax return preparers who think they can outmaneuver the tax system should take note that IRS Criminal Investigation will uncover these schemes and work alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold those responsible accountable… our team will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who tries to defraud the nation’s tax system.”
Both cases were investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) division and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Murphy.
Authorities remind that all charges are allegations at this stage; defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
