Tega Burns, 41, Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for committing tax fraud and mortgage fraud. Burns was also ordered to serve two years under court supervision following her prison term and to pay $201,039.43 in restitution to IRS, $57,450.00 in restitution to Bank of America, and $48,483.00 in restitution to CIT Group/Consumer Finance.
Court records show that in May 2007, Burns, a/k/a Tega Foy, purchased two homes located t 1412 Anderson Drive, Charlotte North Carolina and 1405 Langdon Terrace Drive, Indian Trail, North Carolina and obtained mortgage loans to purchase both homes in the name of another individual. Burns used false information – including fake employment documentation from Family Homecare Services – to purchase the homes. Both of these homes were eventually foreclosed on, with losses to the banks.
Burns was the owner of Family Homecare Services, a Charlotte-based company that provided in-home care services in the area from 2007 through 2011. According to filed court documents the sentencing hearing, Burns failed to pay a large part of the employment taxes her company owed for the relevant tax years. Specifically, court records show that during the relevant time period, Burns had an outstanding liability of more than $200,000 relative to the employment taxes. According to statements made during sentencing, Burns utilized nominees, including her son and her step-father, to hide funds from the IRS and to evade payment of the outstanding taxes.
Burns was charged by information on July 11, 2012 and, on June 11, 2012, Burns pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a loan application and one count of failure to account for and pay over employment tax. Burns was sentenced on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney. The plea agreement and sentencing memoranda were filed under seal.
Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina and Jeannine A. Hammett, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID) announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by IRS-CID. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Grus Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
