Nikia Tull, a Norfolk tax preparer, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for her role in a tax fraud scheme that targeted clients in the Hampton Roads area.
Tull, 44, co-owned and operated YT Phoenix Enterprises, Inc., aka Phoenix Financial Tax Service, with multiple offices in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk. Between 2014 and 2018, she willfully prepared and submitted 33 federal income tax returns to the IRS containing false and fraudulent items.
The tax returns included false residential energy credits, unreimbursed employee expenses, charitable contributions, and business losses. Tull charged her clients based on the number of separate forms filed with each return, allowing her to collect more fees for herself.
As a result of Tull’s fraudulent conduct, the IRS suffered a total loss of approximately $230,000. In addition to defrauding the IRS, Tull also devised a wire fraud scheme aimed at a small business lender, submitting fraudulent bank statements in support of loan applications.
Tull was convicted on five counts of wire fraud and 33 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns after a seven-day trial in November 2020.
As part of her sentencing, Tull was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $162,460. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel P. Shean and Joseph L. Kosky.
Nikia Tull, the defendant, will begin serving her 33-month prison sentence. The case is a reminder of the importance of holding individuals accountable for tax fraud and other financial crimes.
Related Federal Cases
- Jeffrey Phares, Cemetery Fraud, West Virginia, 2023 · West Virginia
- Nitesh Ratnakar, Tax Evasion, West Virginia, 2023 · West Virginia
- Willie C. Grant, ID Theft and Tax Refund Fraud, Macon GA, 2008 · Washington
- Christopher Guilford, Tax Refund Scheme, Sacramento CA, 2025 · Alaska
- Karen McGinnis, Tax Theft, Mountain Top PA, 2023-2025 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
