A federal indictment unsealed in Boise charges an Idaho couple and three accomplices with attempting to defraud the U.S. government of millions through a wire fraud scheme, the Department of Justice announced. Prosecutors say Kent and Andrea Shannon of Kuna, Idaho, along with Brittany Plahm of Illinois, Monika Skinger of Chicago, and Sherita Chandler of Florida, filed false tax returns and other fictitious documents to the IRS to secure large refunds. All five have made their initial court appearances.
According to the indictment, the Shannons and their co-conspirators submitted more than 100 fraudulent financial instruments — including fake checks and money orders — to feign tax payments between 2023 and 2024. The group allegedly attempted to trick the IRS into refunding about $57 million in taxes that were never paid. Two defendants appeared before a judge last week; the others had already appeared.
Prosecutors say the Shannons spent part of the proceeds on luxury vehicles, including a $90,000 Cadillac Escalade and a $144,000 GMC Sierra 3500. All five now face conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges, which carry up to 20 years in prison for each count.
IRS Criminal Investigations is leading the probe, with David F. Scollan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney Campbell prosecuting. Kent Shannon also faces a separate money laundering charge that could add 10 more years to his sentence if convicted.
While the defendants remain presumed innocent, the indictment highlights what prosecutors describe as an audacious attempt to defraud not a bank or business, but the federal government itself. The case will move forward in court, where evidence and law will decide the outcome and potential sentences.
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