Halifax, NS

Coldbrook woman charged with 11 counts of tax evasion and forgery

Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 14, 2016… The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) reported that 11 charges of tax evasion were filed yesterday under the Income Tax Act and six charges were filed under the Criminal Code against Ms. Karen Lorraine Byers of Coldbrook, Nova Scotia.

Under the Income Tax Act, Ms. Byers is charged with tax evasion and making false statements on her personal income tax return as well as her spouse’s by overstating charitable donations on their respective returns equaling $202,500. Under the Criminal Code, Ms. Byers is charged with forgery and using forged documents for the creation and submission of false documents, specifically charitable donation receipts.

In 2011 the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service (Canadian Forces) began its investigation into Ms. Byers for the expropriation of funds from the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre, her former employer.  This investigation led to criminal charges and a conviction of fraud.  As part of its investigation, the Canadian Forces shared the information with the CRA.  The CRA investigation concluded that between the taxation years 2008 and 2013 the sizable tax refunds claimed by the Byers’ were as a result of large, allegedly falsified, charitable donations.