Nevada Woman Admits to Filing $98M in Fraudulent COVID-19 Tax Credit Claims

A Nevada woman has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government by filing fraudulent tax returns seeking COVID-19 employment tax credits. Candies Goode-McCoy, of Las Vegas, submitted approximately 1,227 false tax returns between June 2022 and September 2023, falsely claiming over $98 million in refunds. Of that amount, the IRS paid out approximately $33 million before uncovering the fraud.

McCoy personally received over $1.3 million in fraudulent funds and earned about $800,000 from filing fake returns on behalf of others. She used the illicit gains to purchase luxury cars, gamble at casinos, and fund vacations. The fraudulent claims involved the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credits, which were intended to support businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

McCoy now faces up to 10 years in prison, along with supervised release, restitution, and financial penalties. Her sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2026. The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with prosecution led by the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.