Four Southern California suspects were charged with allegedly defrauding the government of $93 million through a COVID tax fraud scheme.
The operation is the largest known COVID-related fraud scheme in the U.S., according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The suspects were identified as:
- Kristerpher Turner, aka “Kris Turner,” “Red,” “Red Boy” and “Bullet,” 52, of Harbor City
- Toriano Knox, aka “Scooby,” and “Dwight,” 55, of Los Angeles
- Kenya Jones, aka “Kenya Emua Jones,” and “Kenya Hunt,” 46, of Compton
- Joyce Johnson, a.k.a. “Ms. Jay,” 55, of Victorville
The alleged crimes took place from June 2020 to December 2024. The group and their co-conspirators submitted fraudulent tax forms for at least 148 companies, authorities said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress authorized tax credits, including “sick and family wage credits.”
Small businesses could seek refunds on tax returns by claiming the credit, known as Coronavirus Response Credits, which reimbursed businesses for wages that were paid to employees who couldn’t work due to the pandemic.
According to the indictment, Turner and his accomplices would submit fraudulent forms to claim those credits, sometimes on behalf of companies that didn’t exist and also on behalf of people they recruited to join the scheme.
“Turner would direct and manage recruiters, including Knox and Jones, to recruit fraud clients, including romantic partners,” court documents said. “Fraud clients would provide their personal identifying information to be used to establish fake businesses and prepare fraudulent tax filings. Others would provide information about preexisting businesses that were ineligible to receive Coronavirus Response Credits so that the co-conspirators could use that information to file fraudulent tax filings on behalf of those businesses.”
The suspects would receive checks in the mail and deposit them into bank accounts that were opened under false business names. For each person who obtained a government check, Turner would reportedly collect between 20% to 40% of the money received.
Through this scheme, the suspects had sought over $247 million in tax refunds. They were ultimately successful in stealing around $93 million through IRS-issued checks.
At some point during the years-long operation, the suspects learned that IRS officials were investigating the scheme.
Sometime around Aug. 29, 2023, Knox, Jones and other unidentified suspects, attempted to kill Turner to prevent him from speaking to law enforcement about the fraud, court documents said.
Turner was shot multiple times at an office park in Gardena. He survived the shooting and remains paralyzed.
On June 11, 2025, Turner, Knox, Jones and Johnson were charged with mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and conspiracy to submit false claims. Knox and Jones were also charged with attempting to kill a witness and using a firearm in furtherance of that crime.
If convicted of all charges, all four would face up to 20 years in prison on each mail fraud charge. Knox and Jones could face life imprisonment on the firearm charge and 30 years on the attempted murder charge.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.