Shepherdsville man sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme

Date: Aug. 17, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Louisville, KY – A Shepherdsville, Kentucky man was sentenced on Aug. 11, 2026, to 9 years in federal prison for wire fraud and spending fraud proceeds.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bobby Kuszynski of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

Stacy Allen Taylor of Shepherdsville conspired with others in an international wire fraud scheme to defraud more than forty victims out of over $23.6 million. Victims believed they were investing money into a private trading platform that would provide significant returns on their investments. Most victims lost their entire investment to the scheme.

Taylor was previously convicted in the Western District of Kentucky and served a three-year sentence for federal fraud and drug crimes related to his role in an illegal online pharmacy. 

In this case, Taylor entered guilty pleas to the seven counts in his indictment, including charges for wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and carrying out transactions over $10,000 with criminal proceeds. Taylor has been ordered to pay restitution to victims of his fraud scheme.

“Taylor is a repeat offender engaged in complex fraud, causing significant harm to dozens of victims,” said United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner. “A dedicated team of agents from FBI and IRS-CI worked together tirelessly over the course of years to bring justice to the fraud victims in this case. Taylor’s significant prison sentence will help protect others who might have fallen prey to this fraud scheme and, hopefully, sends a strong deterrent message to other fraudsters to stop or they will certainly find themselves in a cell next to Taylor.”

“When you knowingly mix deceit and fraud into the financial well-being of individuals, you create a recipe for devastation that could last a lifetime,” said Robert Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today's sentencing demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors for their personal financial gain. IRS-CI special agents will continue to use their financial expertise to identify and trace laundered funds in these types of investor fraud schemes.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson stated, "Investment schemes like the one perpetrated by Mr. Taylor may not only lead to the loss of a victim's life savings but can irreparably damage one's livelihood. Through the FBI’s strong partnerships with IRS-CI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office-Western District of Kentucky, this fraud scheme was identified and stopped before additional unsuspecting Americans were victimized.”

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office and the FBI Louisville Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne E. Keel prosecuted the case.

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. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.