Mobile, Alabama Tax Preparer and Five Employees Indicted in Alleged $177 Million Refund Scheme

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Every filing season, some tax preparers promise bigger refunds than anyone else in town. Federal prosecutors in Alabama allege that one Mobile tax business went further than aggressive marketing. On Oct. 28, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama announced an indictment charging six people in an alleged scheme that sought more than $177 million in fraudulent federal tax refunds [1].

Important: All six are charged, not convicted. The U.S. Attorney's Office says, "An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law." [1]

What prosecutors allege

According to the indictment as described in the release [1]:

• Jennifer Beverly, 47, of Mobile, owned and operated JB Accounting Tax Service LLC, which provided tax preparation services in Mobile from about 2022 through 2024.
• Her employees were allegedly Jadasha Bowman, 28; Kennedy Lawrence Stovall Winston, 42; Solida Lucille Green, 36; Paris Lovett, also known as Paris Johnson, 30; and Shermeka Benjamin, 38.
• From about 2021 through 2024, the defendants allegedly prepared and submitted false and fraudulent federal tax returns to the IRS. The allegedly false items included Schedule C statements, COVID-19 credits, fuel tax credits, credit repayments, estimated tax payments, Schedule A statements, Schedule 3 statements and education credits.
• The indictment alleges more than 9,000 fraudulent returns seeking more than $177 million in refunds. About $81 million in refunds was issued.

"Tax return preparers are entrusted with sensitive financial information and have a responsibility to uphold the integrity of our nation's tax system, not exploit it for personal financial gain," said Maisha Horton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation's Atlanta Field Office [1].

The release does not say whether any client knew what was on the returns filed in their names, and we make no claim about that.

The people charged and their status

All six are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They also face wire fraud counts: Beverly 63, Bowman 11, Winston 5, Green 11, Lovett 11 and Benjamin 4. If convicted, they face the penalties authorized by law, including prison, fines and restitution. The indictment includes a forfeiture notice covering a money judgment for each defendant's alleged proceeds and 12 real properties belonging to one or more of them [1].

The investigation involved the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division, IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. The release does not give a docket number, a judge or an arraignment date, so plea and trial status is status pending.

Why a "bigger refund" can be a trap for the taxpayer

A preparer who files inflated credits or invented business losses can produce a large refund fast. But the return carries your name and signature. Generally, the person whose name is on a return remains responsible for what it says, so a false claim can lead to repayment demands, penalties or worse. The release does not say that happened here; it is a general risk of using any preparer who pads returns.

Red flags when choosing a preparer

These are general warning signs, not claims about any person in this case.

• A preparer who promises a big refund before reviewing your documents.
• Credits or deductions you do not recognize, such as business income you never had.
• A fee based on a percentage of your refund.
• A preparer who will not show you the return or asks you to sign a blank or unfinished one.
• A refund sent to an account you do not control.

What to do

• Review every line before you sign, and keep a copy of the filed return.
• Ask what each credit is for. If the answer does not match your life, say so.
• Check your IRS online account at IRS.gov for the return as filed.
• If you think a preparer filed a false return for you, talk to a qualified tax professional about correcting it, and consider reporting the preparer to the IRS.
• Report fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Jennifer Beverly, 47, Mobile, Ala. (JB Accounting Tax Service LLC)	U.S. District Court, S.D. Ala. (docket not stated in release)	Indicted: conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 63 wire fraud counts; presumed innocent	[1]
Jadasha Bowman, 28	Same	Indicted: conspiracy and 11 wire fraud counts; presumed innocent	[1]
Kennedy Lawrence Stovall Winston, 42	Same	Indicted: conspiracy and 5 wire fraud counts; presumed innocent	[1]
Solida Lucille Green, 36	Same	Indicted: conspiracy and 11 wire fraud counts; presumed innocent	[1]
Paris Lovett (aka Paris Johnson), 30	Same	Indicted: conspiracy and 11 wire fraud counts; presumed innocent	[1]
Shermeka Benjamin, 38	Same	Indicted: conspiracy and 4 wire fraud counts; presumed innocent	[1]

No defendant has been convicted. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Alabama, "Mobile Tax Preparers Indicted for $177 Million Tax Fraud Scheme," Oct. 28, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdal/pr/mobile-tax-preparers-indicted-177-million-tax-fraud-scheme

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