RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — A jail supervisor, who recruited people from his jail to pay his wife to prepare and file tax returns that falsely claimed business losses, childcare and job expenses, charitable donations and other deductions, was indicted in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.
Jailer William Coles recruited people from Piedmont Regional Jail to pay his wife Sybil Coles to prepare and file tax returns that claimed the false deductions, according to the indictment.
William Coles assisted in the preparation of his own false tax returns.
It also alleges that Coles devised a scheme to defraud a financial institution by submitting falsified W-2 and wage documents to obtain a mortgage loan.
William Coles, Jr., 49, of Pamplin, Va., was indicted on seven counts involving the preparation and filing of false tax returns and bank fraud. The indictment includes one count of conspiracy, five counts of assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, and one count of bank fraud.
He is facing up to 48 years in prison , if convicted.
Sybil Coles, who was charged in a related case, pleaded guilty on January 28 to false tax return conspiracy.
Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.