Yolanda Dewar, Tax Refund Scam, Florida 2020

A Florida woman’s scheme to swindle the IRS has come to an end. Yolanda Dewar was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $485,290.03 in restitution to the United States for filing false tax returns with the IRS to obtain tax refunds.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2018 and 2020, Yolanda Dewar filed four false tax returns seeking a total of almost $2 million in tax refunds from the IRS on behalf of a trust she created. These returns falsely reported that the trust had earned significant income, made payments to the IRS and had federal income taxes withheld on its behalf.

Dewar continued filing false returns even after the IRS notified her that her claims were frivolous and had no basis in law. In total, the IRS issued nearly $500,000 to the trust in response to Dewar’s false claims. It is unclear what Dewar planned to do with the remaining $1.5 million she attempted to scam.

Details of the case suggest that Dewar used a portion of the funds to purchase a car for a family member, get plastic surgery and renovate her home.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

The IRS Criminal Investigation unit investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Kavitha Bondada of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deric Zacca for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

The case serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of tax evasion. The U.S. government will continue to pursue those who attempt to cheat the system.

Key Facts:

Defendant: Yolanda Dewar
Criminal Charge: filing false tax returns
City: Florida (location not specified)
Date: not specified (year mentioned as 2020)
Sentence: one year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release, and $485,290.03 in restitution
Dollar Amount: Nearly $500,000 in tax refunds issued by the IRS

Related Federal Cases