New Orleans woman guilty of aiding preparation of false tax return, aiding in making false statements to Small Business Administration and making false statements to Small Business Administration

Date: March 11, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

New Orleans – Ashley Cooper (“Cooper”) of New Orleans, LA, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2026, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to a three-count Bill of Information that charged her with aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, aiding and abetting in making false statements to the Small Business Administration, and making false statements to the Small Business Administration related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.

According to court documents, as to Count 1, Cooper admitted that she aided and assisted with the preparation of a false tax return on behalf of a client by claiming false fuel tax credits in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). This false tax return resulted in a fraudulently obtained refund from the IRS for the 2022 tax year. As to Count 2, Cooper admitted that she also aided and abetted a person in filing a false Paycheck Protection Program loan through the CARES Act, resulting in a fraudulently obtained loan of approximately $20,832.00 in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and 2. Finally, as to with regard to Count 3, Cooper made false statements to the SBA to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government, including PPP funds, for which she received approximately $19,790.00, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

Sentencing will be on June 10, 2026. For Count 1, Cooper faces up to three years in prison, up to $100,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release, for her false statements to the IRS. For Counts 2 and 3, she faces up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for her false statements. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, per count, due after conviction.

U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera is in charge of the prosecution.

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 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.