According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a Bedford County woman, Rebekah Proctor, has pleaded guilty to financial crimes and will pay over $1 million in restitution. Proctor admitted to failing to collect and pay taxes and committing wire fraud. She faces up to 30 years for wire fraud and five years for tax offenses, with sentencing set for July.
Proctor, who operated a daycare business called Franklin Springs Academy, withheld but did not pay income and FICA taxes for the first quarter of 2022, resulting in tens of thousands in unpaid taxes. She also fraudulently obtained over $100,000 in COVID-relief PPP funds by making false certifications about her tax status and misusing the funds for personal expenses.