Woman Charged in Tax Scam

A fourth Charleston-area individual has been arrested on charges she helped prepare fraudelant tax returns, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

Tameka Coakley was arrested today for one count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of forgery. If convicted of the charges, Coakley could face penalties of up to $500 in fines and as much as 10 years in prison, according to a Department of Revenue news release.

"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," said Samantha Cheek, SCDRO spokeswoman in a news release.

"The investigation revealed that Coakley worked for this employer in 2008, but she manipulated the wages and withholding information and thus received a S.C. income tax refund of $685."

Coakley, 28, was booked into the Charleston County jail on Monday.

Tameka Coakley is the fourth individual thus far to be arrested by SCDOR for tax fraud surrounding this tax refund scam in the Charleston area. Read about other arrests.