Wilmington daycare center owner pleads guilty to tax evasion

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A Wilmington woman pleaded guilty in federal court this month to three counts of tax evasion.  

According to court documents, Brenda Mathis, the owner of LJ’s Playpen Academy, a Wilmington daycare center, failed to declare all of the income received by the daycare on  corporate tax returns.  As a result, the daycare underpaid taxes in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Mathis faces a maximum of five years in prison for each count when sentenced on December 16, 2022. Sentences are typically lower than the maximum figures.

U.S. Attorney Davaid  Weiss stated, “Brenda Mathis’ scheme to evade taxes for the purpose of lining her own pockets was a theft from the American public.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the interests of law-abiding taxpayers by pursuing those who evade taxes for their own enrichment.”

“This guilty plea is a win for all those who play by the rules,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Mathis defrauded our nation’s tax system, a criminal act that will not be tolerated. Let her admission of guilt serve as a stern warning to anyone thinking about engaging in similar criminal behavior.”

IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, FBI, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture OIG.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Alexander Ibrahim prosecuted  the case.