Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns to Fraudulently Obtain Nearly $2 Million

Sunrise, FL – A Florida woman, Yolanda Dewar, pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns in an attempt to fraudulently obtain nearly $2 million in tax refunds from the IRS. The case sheds light on significant financial misconduct involving the misuse of a trust to deceive federal authorities.

According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, Dewar, a surgical technologist from Sunrise, Florida, created a trust between 2018 and 2020 and used it to file four false tax returns. These fraudulent returns sought nearly $2 million in tax refunds from the IRS. Despite being notified by the IRS that her claims were frivolous and without legal basis, Dewar continued to file these false returns.

The IRS issued nearly $500,000 in refunds to the trust based on Dewar’s fraudulent claims. According to the indictment, Dewar allegedly used a portion of these funds for personal expenses, including purchasing a car for a family member, undergoing plastic surgery, and renovating her home.

Dewar is scheduled to be sentenced on October 24. She faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, along with a period of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.

The announcement was made by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.

The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Kavitha Bondada of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Deric Zacca for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.

A table full of moneyPhoto byTima Miroshnichenko