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Date: July 23, 2025
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Pensacola, FL — Khristine Harper, of Pensacola, Florida has been indicted in federal court for 20 counts of aiding or assisting in preparation of false tax return and one count of identity theft. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Harper appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho on July 21, 2025, for her arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, she faces up to 65 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.