Date: Jan. 26, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

Paducah, KY - A Paducah woman was found guilty of nine federal charges for false claims and wire fraud on Friday.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office made the announcement.

Natasha Harris-Johnson of Paducah filed eight tax returns for the 2018 and 2019 tax years on behalf of trusts she created, altogether demanding nearly $30 million in tax refunds she was not entitled to. Harris-Johnson also filed a fraudulent application with the Small Business Administration ("SBA") for Economic Injury Disaster Loan ("EIDL") funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in Harris-Johnson receiving approximately $160,000 in SBA funds she was not entitled to. Harris-Johnson used the EIDL funds for personal expenses and has not paid back any portion of the loan.

On Friday January 16, 2026, Harris-Johnson was found guilty of all nine counts she was charged with at the conclusion of a week-long jury trial in Paducah, Kentucky. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, "Our office along with our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue fraud against the federal government. I am particularly proud of the strong advocacy on behalf of the United States by Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Keel and Josh Judd."

"The criminal who perpetrated this scheme systematically defrauded the government and the taxpaying public," said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. "At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously and keep at the forefront of our mission every day. IRS-CI will continue to actively pursue those who steal from the hardworking taxpayers of the United States by preparing false claims for refunds to which they are not entitled."

Harris-Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison for each of eight false claims counts and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the single wire fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Bowling Green Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, which is a branch of the Detroit Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne E. Keel and Joshua Judd prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Cristy Crockett.

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.