South Bay Man Ran A $93M Tax Fraud Scheme. His Accomplices Tried To Kill Him: FBI

HARBOR CITY, CA — A Harbor City man has been charged in connection with what the FBI is calling the "largest known" COVID tax fraud scheme.

Kristerpher Turner, 52, of Harbor City, is accused of fraudulently filing Coronavirus Response Credits for businesses and fake companies. Toriano Knox, 55, of Los Angeles, Kenya Jones, 46, of Compton and Joyce Johnson, 55, of Victorville have also been indicted in the scheme, according to the FBI.

They each face charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to submit false claims, according to the FBI. Knox and Jones face additional charges of attempted murder and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence for trying to kill Turner to prevent him from speaking with police about the scheme, the FBI said.

Turner, considered the ringleader of the operation, manipulated Coronavirus Response Credits, recruiting other people to establish fake businesses and submit the fraudulent forms, according to the FBI.

The Coronavirus Response Credits is a federal program established during the pandemic that was meant to help companies cover the costs of paid leave for workers who were sick or required family and medical leave.

From July 2020 to December 2024, he established a network of people that would obtain Treasury checks through the scheme, charging between 20 to 40 percent in kickbacks each time, authorities said.

During this time, the defendants and other co-conspirators submitted fraudulent forms on behalf of at least 148 companies, seeking nearly $250 million in tax refunds. Through the scheme, they received at least $93 million in Treasury checks from the IRS, according to the FBI.

Authorities eventually caught on to the scheme and began investigating the fraudulent activity, the FBI said.

On Aug. 29, 2023, Turner was shot several times at an office park in Gardena, according to authorities. The FBI later learned that Knox, Jones and others involved in the scheme tried to kill Turner to prevent him from speaking with law enforcement about the scheme. Turner is now paralyzed, they added.

If convicted of the fraud crimes, each defendant could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Knox and Jones, however, could receive an additional 30 years for the attempted murder and life in prison for the firearm charges, according to the FBI.