⏱ 2 min read
Angela Dickens, a 54-year-old tax preparer from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, resulting in a staggering $3.9 million tax loss. From 2017 to 2023, Dickens and at least one co-conspirator filed hundreds of fraudulent federal income tax returns, inflating ‘Other 1099 Withholding’ amounts to increase taxpayer refunds and line their own pockets with excessive fees.
Dickens operated Empire Tax Service, later renamed K&J Tax Service, in North Carolina, where she gathered clients’ financial information, organized it, and filed their federal and state tax returns – but not accurately or lawfully. Instead, she used her position of trust to cheat the system and her clients.
The scheme was eventually exposed, and Dickens now faces a maximum penalty of 36 months in prison when sentenced in November 2026. She has also agreed to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle warned others considering similar crimes, ‘Cheaters. Never. Win.’
The IRS Criminal Investigation’s Charlotte Field Office worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold Dickens accountable. Special Agent in Charge Donald ‘Trey’ Eakins said, ‘Tax return preparers who try to defraud the tax system should be aware that IRS Criminal Investigation will expose these schemes and work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold those responsible accountable.’
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: North Carolina
- Location: NC
- Source: DOJ Press Release
