Another Arrest on Tax Fraud Charges

A twelfth suspect in the Charleston area has been arrested on charges she filed multiple fraudulent tax forms over a four-year period.

Aisha Dowling, of Charleston, was arrested by officials with the South Carolina Department of Revenue in connection with an ongoing tax refund scam in the Lowcountry.

Ten of the 11 other tax fraud suspects were from Mount Pleasant.

Authorities allege Dowling in the years 2008 to 2011 filed with tax preparers fraudulent W2 forms from employers where either she did not work during the time or she had inflated the wages and withholding taxes, according to a Department of Revenue news release.

Over that time period, Dowling received more than $2,600 in state tax refunds to which authorities allege she was not entitled.

Dowling was charged with four felony charges of assisting in the preparation of a false return and four counts of forgery. She is facing charges of up to $40,000 in fines and up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the charges.