Macon woman admits to $3.5 million fraud scheme, records show. She created a fake company
A Macon woman pleaded guilty this month to tax fraud after she attempted to commit a $3.5 million scheme and received more than $300,000 in false returns over the course of several years, court documents show.
Lonnise Janelle Andrews, 43, admitted in the Middle District of Georgia federal court Sept. 11 that she had filed several fake forms with the IRS for both herself and her father, court documents show.
Andrews also pleaded guilty to creating a fake company, dubbed Andrew Harris Corbin, and falsifying documents for hundreds of fake employees, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She claimed to the IRS that her father was one of the company’s owners.
“Those engaged in tax refund schemes and fraud are breaking federal law and will be held accountable for these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary in the statement. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will seek justice on behalf of taxpayers.”
Andrews first filed fraudulent tax information in 2017 when she lied about having $50,000 of business expenses and other charges, according to her indictment. She went on to file returns for the fake company AHC in April of 2020 and obtained refunds and credits despite AHC not being a registered business.
Andrews also applied for COVID-19 relief money from the CARES Act under AHC, court documents show. She claimed the company had 957 employees and reported AHC paid more than $1.4 million in wages.
Andrews had a return check of more than $25,000 mailed to a UPS mailbox her father set up, according to the statement. Surveillance camera video caught him visiting the mailbox and picking up the check, which was later found in Andrews’ bedroom during a search.
The attempted fraud by Andrews tallied up to $3.5 million, while the IRS actually doled out $331,758, all of which Andrews agreed to repay in restitution, according to her plea agreement.
Andrews will be sentenced Jan. 4, according to court documents. She faces up to 13 years in prison and $600,000 in fines in addition to her restitution charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.