A New Orleans tax preparer has pled guilty to a slew of charges, including tax fraud and exploiting COVID-19 relief funds. Celina Bolton-Fultz, a 35-year-old from Slidell, Louisiana, admitted to the fraudulent activities encompassing both her personal tax filings and illicit claims made on behalf of her clients, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
From 2018 to 2022, Bolton-Fultz, asserted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, filed thirty false tax returns for clients, artificially boosting their incomes to snag unearned tax credits. Her own tax reports were similarly tainted, with her business receipts and expenses being substantially misrepresented. Handed over in the plea agreement, Bolton-Fultz is obliged to cough up at least $405,133 in restitution for her illegitimate gains from the Internal Revenue Service and the Small Business Administration.
Moreover, the guilty plea encompasses her deceitful dealings with the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications, where she scored over $200,000 by falsifying payroll and revenue figures. The penalties at her January 23, 2025, sentencing could be severe, with possible imprisonment oscillating between three and ten years for the different counts, not to mention the prospect of steep fines and subsequent supervised release, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case reflects a broader vigilance against COVID-19 related financial crimes, spurred by the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force by the Attorney General back in May 2021. Acting as the judicial system's sword, the task force aims to pinpoint and prosecute fraudulent actors benefiting from pandemic relief programs with a rapacious grip. Individuals privy to similar fraud attempts can report them through various channels provided by the Department of Justice. The diligent efforts of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations have been acknowledged in bringing Bolton-Fultz's case to the limelight, with Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses leading the prosecution charge.
