DOJ says TN man pleaded guilty to pandemic tax credit scheme

The Department of Justice said a Tennessee man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a tax credit scheme where he attempted to claim $3.4 million in COVID-19-related employment refunds. Ryan Glidewell pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering. Glidewell and others created a fake business during the COVID pandemic to file false tax returns, to get refunds based on employee retention credit and paid sick and family leave credit. Those returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, and the IRS paid out $1.8 million. Glidewell will be facing a 20 year prison sentence on November 12.