Peoria man pleads guilty to fraudulently obtaining $1.8 million in tax refunds

Date: April 15, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

Phoenix, AZ - Leslie Victor Gentry of Peoria, Arizona, pleaded guilty on April 8 to Filing False Claims for Refund. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich.

According to the plea agreement, Gentry knowingly prepared and submitted 14 false Form 941 tax returns for tax years 2020 and 2021. Gentry filed the tax returns on behalf of two businesses that he and his wife owned, but that were not in operation during that time. The tax returns claimed false COVID-related tax credits based on fictitious wages paid to fictitious employees. Gentry admitted that, in reality, the companies did not have any employees and did not pay any of the reported wages. Through the false filings, Gentry fraudulently sought and received more than $1.8 million in COVID-related tax credits.

A conviction for Filing False Claims for Refund carries a maximum term of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution to the IRS.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling 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.