Las Vegas(Thechieftainspear) – A Las Vegas woman has pleaded guilty to participating in a large-scale scheme to defraud the U.S. government by filing fraudulent claims for COVID-19-related tax credits, the Justice Department announced.
Candies Goode-McCoy admitted to conspiring with others to submit false tax returns in an effort to obtain refunds through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit, federal prosecutors said.
These tax credits were introduced by Congress to assist small businesses struggling during the pandemic by reducing their employment tax liabilities. However, between June 2022 and September 2023, Goode-McCoy manipulated the system by filing approximately 1,227 fraudulent tax returns for herself and others, seeking over $98 million in refunds.
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According to the Justice Department, the IRS paid out around $33 million as a result of these false claims. Goode-McCoy personally collected more than $1.3 million in fraudulent refunds and earned an additional $800,000 in fees from those who benefited from her filings.
Investigators say she knowingly submitted misleading information, fully aware that neither she nor the individuals she assisted qualified for the credits they claimed. Instead of using the money for legitimate business purposes, Goode-McCoy spent it on luxury cars, casino gambling, expensive vacations, and other high-end purchases.
She is set to be sentenced on February 23, 2026, and could face up to 10 years in federal prison .
