COLUMBUS, Ga. — Four Georgia men were sentenced this past Wednesday to federal prison for their roles in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud pandemic relief programs.
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The men conspired to file nearly $17.5 million in fraudulent tax credit claims meant to support small businesses and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigation, which began in Columbus, was part of a larger organized crime takedown known as Operation Sweet Silence. U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes said the multimillion-dollar fraud was uncovered during the law enforcement effort that dismantled a criminal gang.
“Stopping fraud and protecting taxpayer resources is a central mission for this office and DOJ,” Keyes said.
U.S. District Judge Clay Land sentenced 41-year-old Dontavis Williams to 115 months in prison, followed by 96 months for 26-year-old Christopher Upshaw.
Johnathon Swift, 34, received a 63-month sentence and 37-year-old Donterious Sparks was sentenced to 41 months.
Each man was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay restitution to the U.S. Treasury. Swift must pay $417,095.56, Upshaw $411,112.21, Sparks $311,072.55 and Williams $156,531.74.
The scheme involved the Employee Retention Credit, a tax credit created to encourage businesses to keep staff employed during the pandemic. Demetrius Hardeman, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Atlanta, said the defendants took funds meant for businesses working to keep employees on payroll.
“IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our federal partners are actively investigating and will continue to hold accountable those who defrauded these programs at a time when the country was most in need of economic relief,” Hardeman said.
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Federal authorities began investigating after noticing unusually large IRS deposits into the bank accounts of 32-year-old Tommie Mullins of Columbus. Wiretaps later captured Mullins discussing a 20% cut from a fraudulent tax scheme.
Upshaw registered a business called DOPE! Apparel, LLC in June 2022 and filed five falsified returns for COVID-related tax credits in April 2023. Investigators found he had no W-2 records or tax filings from 2019 to 2023 and state records showed no evidence his company employed any staff.
After cashing fraudulent checks, Upshaw used a portion of the money to purchase a luxury vehicle. Marlo Graham, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said the scheme attempted to steal nearly $17.5 million from programs intended to help struggling workers and businesses survive the pandemic.
“The FBI will aggressively pursue anyone who exploits national emergencies for profit,” Graham said.
Swift, Williams and Sparks similarly used LLCs in their names to file false returns, receiving a combined 16 checks totaling approximately $1.3 million.
The group also recruited others into the scheme, submitting more than 150 tax returns on their behalf in exchange for a percentage of the refunds.
This recruitment resulted in more than $15.2 million in attempted and actual losses, bringing the total loss to taxpayers to approximately $17.5 million.
There is no parole in the federal system. The men will begin their supervised release terms following the completion of their prison sentences.
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