Date: April 6, 2026
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Boise – Miles Elletson of Eagle, Idaho was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for wire fraud and filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, between June 2017 and Dec. 2020, Elletson knowingly and fraudulently devised a scheme to defraud Business-1 of approximately $478,013 and willfully filed false tax returns resulting in a tax loss of $161,354. To fraudulently obtain money, Elletson entered false entries on work orders and submitted fraudulent invoices claiming that Advanced Purchasing Services LLC (APS) performed work for Business-1, when Elletson knew that was not true. That caused Business-1 to issue checks to APS for the fraudulent invoices, checks that Elletson often signed on behalf of Business-1. Elletson provided the checks to the registered owner of APS who deposited…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.