Crime · Mobile, AL
Federal Indictment Charges Six in Mobile Tax Fraud Scheme Seeking $177 Million
A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charges six people with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud for allegedly filing more than 9,000 fraudulent tax returns through JB Accounting Tax Service LLC on Broad Street in Mobile, Alabama. The scheme, active from approximately 2021 through 2024, sought $177 million in refunds; the IRS issued $81 million before detection. The lead defendant is Jennifer Beverly, 47, owner of the tax preparation service, joined by five employees including former University of Alabama basketball player Kennedy Lawrence Stovall Winston, 42. The investigation was led by the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division's Atlanta Field Office, and the FBI's Mobile Field Office. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison; no court date has been set.