Sumter woman sentenced in tax and Covid-19 loan fraud scheme

A Sumter woman involved in a scheme to submit false tax returns and a fraudulent Payroll Protection Plan loan was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)— A Sumter woman involved in a scheme to submit false tax returns and a fraudulent Payroll Protection Plan loan was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

The U.S. Department of Justice says 61 year-old Maggie-Anne Boler defrauded the United States out of roughly $180,000.

She was also ordered to repay $53,696.00 in restitution.

According to evidence, Boler promised a large tax refund to family and friends. She claimed huge withholdings on the returns, generating tax refunds of up to $44,000.

Some of Boler’s family members were unemployed and had no actual withholdings during the year.

Her friends and family were forced to repay the refunds and additional fees and penalties, say officials.

Boler also received a $20,000 PPP loan while also receiving thousands in SC unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic.