3 Arrested on Tax-Fraud Charges

Three Mount Pleasant residents have been arrested and charged in a state tax-fraud probe.

Authorities allege Tameka Coakley, Darcell Lockwood and Robert Vanderhorst submitted fraudulent W2 forms when they filed their taxes in 2009, according to a S.C. Department of Revenue statement.

At least two other Mount Pleasant residents were arrested over the last year for similar offenses.

Revenue officials allege the suspects submitted falsified W2 forms to tax preparers. The false forms allowed the suspects to get bigger state tax refunds.

In all three cases, the refunds were no larger than $700, but the suspects face fines of $500 or 15 years in prison, according to a news release.

Here's what authorities allege happened in each of the three cases:

Upon reviewing Coakley’s 2008 income tax returns, investigators from SCDOR determined Coakley’s state tax return was filed by a tax preparer using fraudulent W2 forms provided by Coakley from her employer. The investigation revealed that Coakley worked for this employer in 2008, but she manipulated the wages and withholding information and thus received a SC income tax refund of $685.

Lockwood, a Mount Pleasant resident, submitted to a tax preparer a fraudulent W2 form although Lockwood did not actually work for the employer listed. The use of the W2 form resulted in Lockwood receiving a fraudulent SC income tax refund in the amount of $717, to which she was not entitled.

SCDOR determined that Vanderhorst filed via a tax preparer and used a fraudulent W2 form from an employer who he did not work for during that time. By submission of the fraudulent W2 forms, Vanderhorst received an overstated fraudulent SC income tax refund of $679.

All three suspects were arrested on Monday and booked into the Charleston County jail.