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Date: Jan. 18, 2026
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 16, 2026, Jahnell Easly of Franklin, Wisconsin, pled guilty to one count of Aiding in the Preparation of False Tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2).
According to the plea agreement filed in court, Easly worked as a tax preparer who prepared and filed federal tax returns for clients for a fee. For the 2020, 2021, and 2022 tax years, Easly electronically filed approximately 424 federal tax returns with the IRS. Of those, approximately 386 contained indicators and evidence of fraud. Most of the 1040 tax returns filed by Easly on behalf of her clients reported materially false income related to business income and losses, household employee wages, and/or ordinary dividends. They also reported a variety of materially false refundable credits and other payments including sick and family leave credits, child and dependent care credits, fuel tax credits, IRC Section 1341 credits, and/or false income tax withholdings. As a result of Easly’s material misrepresentations, her clients received larger refunds to which they were not entitled, which increased Easly’s commission well beyond what she was entitled to receive. Throughout the course of her scheme, Easly intended a loss to the IRS of approximately $3,499,253, and caused an actual tax loss, based on fraudulent refunds paid, of $1,397,947. As a result of her fraudulent conduct, Easly also obtained approximately $253,712.89 in fees and commissions to which she was not entitled.
Easly faces up to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. She will be sentenced before federal Chief District Court Judge Pamela Pepper on May 21, 2026.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter J. Smyczek.
IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.