She Helped File $15M In False COVID Tax Credit Claims. Now, She Is Going To Prison.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Adonia Stiles, a real estate agent, tax preparer and clothing store owner from Las Vegas, Nevada, conspired with others to file false employment tax returns claiming credits created to assist struggling businesses.
According to federal court records, Stiles had co-conspirator Candies Goode-McCoy file 11 false employment tax returns for her clothing store seeking more than $800,000 in refundable employee retention and sick and family leave credits.
Stiles also referred 18 other people to Goode-McCoy, who filed more than 150 false employment tax returns on their behalf.
Through those filings, Goode-McCoy claimed approximately $15 million in fraudulent tax credits, resulting in the federal government paying out more than $7 million in refunds.
In exchange for the referrals, Stiles received at least $135,000. Prosecutors said she did not report the money on her individual income tax returns.
In April 2026, Goode-McCoy was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison for her role in the scheme.
On July 15, 2026, Stiles was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, although prosecutors had recommended a 40-month sentence.
Stiles was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $7,079,121.48 in restitution to the United States.
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