KC Tax Pro Cobbins Admits to $348K Fraud Scheme

KANSAS CITY, MO – Bianca Cobbins, 42, of Kansas City, Missouri, has confessed to a brazen double-dip into fraud, pleading guilty in federal court to both bank fraud and the systematic filing of false tax returns. The scheme, stretching back to 2018, netted her and her co-conspirators over $348,000 in illicit gains.

According to court documents, Cobbins’s trouble began in December 2019 when she pilfered the personal information of an unsuspecting victim – name, date of birth, Social Security number, the whole nine yards. She then fabricated a driver’s license, swapping out the victim’s photo with that of Quanisha Capelton. This bogus ID was used to open a checking account at a local bank, setting the stage for further deception.

Cobbins and Capelton didn’t stop at a fraudulent ID. They manufactured fake paystubs, claiming the victim worked for a Kansas City healthcare company and that their paycheck was directly deposited into the newly opened, illicit account. Armed with these falsified documents, they applied for a consumer loan, attempting to secure at least $36,128.32 through deception. Capelton was previously convicted and sentenced for her role in the scheme.

But the bank fraud was just one part of Cobbins’s criminal enterprise. As a professional tax preparer, she exploited her position to inflate the refunds of her clients between 2018 and 2023. She routinely attached fraudulent Schedule C forms to tax returns, falsely claiming business profits or losses to maximize Earned Income Credit payouts. The scale of this operation was significant: Cobbins admitted to preparing at least 55 false returns, causing an actual loss of $312,656.00.

Cobbins now faces a potentially lengthy prison sentence. She could receive up to 30 years behind bars for each of the two counts of making false statements to a financial institution, and up to 3 years for each of the five counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. The final sentence will be determined by the court, taking into account federal sentencing guidelines and other relevant factors. A presentence investigation is underway.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle, with investigative support from the United States Secret Service, IRS-CI, and the Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department. This investigation serves as a stark reminder that those who exploit the financial system for personal gain will be held accountable.