Ricky Costello Williams of Lawton, Oklahoma, is going to prison for cooking the books — not just once, but twice, and under two different state jurisdictions. Williams was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison after admitting to a scheme that bled the IRS for $240,361 through falsified tax returns. The feds aren’t cutting slack for a repeat offender who turned tax season into a criminal enterprise.
Williams operated under the name W&B Financial, presenting himself as a licensed tax preparer while systematically fabricating deductions and inflating credits for clients — and himself — during the 2010 and 2011 tax years. But this wasn’t his first rodeo. Prior convictions in North Carolina and South Carolina already branded him a serial offender in tax fraud, raising red flags that ultimately led to his federal downfall in Oklahoma.
The IRS Criminal Investigations unit peeled back the layers of deception, uncovering a pattern of deliberate falsification designed to trigger inflated refunds. Williams didn’t just make errors — he weaponized tax forms. Investigators found no legitimate basis for the claims filed, pointing instead to manufactured income loss figures, phantom dependents, and fake education credits that only existed on paper.
On February 18, 2016, Williams pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent federal tax return. Since May 26, 2016, he’s been locked up — not just for the crime, but for violating the conditions of his pre-trial release, showing a continued disregard for the law. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange slammed the door with a 30-month sentence and one year of supervised release post-incarceration.
Restitution was set at $240,361, a figure meant to claw back every dollar fraudulently claimed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry A. Kelly led the prosecution, working hand-in-glove with IRS Agent Loy Smith to build a case that left no room for excuses. This conviction sends a message: tax fraud isn’t a victimless crime — it’s theft from every American taxpayer.
The case, rooted in IRS-CI’s dogged investigation, underscores the federal government’s push to crack down on repeat financial offenders hiding behind professional fronts. Court filings detail the full extent of Williams’ deception, providing a paper trail of greed. For Williams, the math is simple: 30 months behind bars, a mountain of debt to repay, and a ruined reputation in the world he once exploited.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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