Washington County Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Theft

JONESBOROUGH - The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to Amy Oaks Turner pleading guilty Thursday.

Judge Lisa Rice accepted Turner’s guilty plea to one felony count of attempted tax evasion and one felony count of theft between $10,000 and $60,000 for filing false and fraudulent sales tax returns when she was a manager at Charley’s Philly Steaks.  The judge ordered Turner to pay $91,563.01 in restitution to the Department of Revenue, and she sentenced her to three years of supervised probation.

“The Department of Revenue promotes voluntary taxpayer compliance by educating taxpayers, aggressively pursuing criminal sanctions and demanding accountability when taxpayers engage in fraudulent activity," Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said.  "This guilty plea underscores the department's ongoing efforts to enforce Tennessee's tax laws."

The department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Kenneth Baldwin’s office.  Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee's revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws, as well as the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2021 fiscal year, it collected $18.4 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $3.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.  To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

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