A Long Beach-based Internal Revenue Service agent who allegedly tried to solicit a $5,000 bribe from a taxpayer pleaded not guilty on July 11 to a federal charge.
Felecia Edna Taylor, 50, a resident of the Florence neighborhood in
South Los Angeles, was arrested in May at the IRS office in Long Beach after
being named in a one-count federal criminal complaint that charges her with
solicitation and receipt of a bribe by a public official, according to the U.S.
Attorney’s Office.
A July 22 status conference and a Sept. 3 trial before U.S. District
Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. were scheduled.
Taylor, who has worked for the IRS since 1990, is a tax compliance
officer for the federal agency, planning and conducting examinations of
individual and business taxpayers, according to papers filed in Los Angeles
federal court.
On May 1, a taxpayer contacted law enforcement and alleged that at a
meeting two days earlier, Taylor was “inviting a bribe” in exchange for
lowering the amount owed to the IRS to $10,000, according to federal
prosecutors.
The taxpayer was allegedly supposed to pay the bribe to Taylor on May
7 at her office, court papers state. Instead, the taxpayer met with law
enforcement and was wired for sound and given $5,000 in cash to hand to Taylor,
the affidavit states.
According to a recording of that meeting, Taylor provided adjusted tax
records to show a reduction of the taxpayer’s liability to $10,616 as
agreed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges. In response, the taxpayer allegedly
handed Taylor an envelope containing $5,000 in cash.
Taylor took the envelope in one hand, mouthed the word, “Five?” and
placed five fingers in the air to non-verbally confirm the amount the taxpayer
had just given her, court papers allege.
When the taxpayer replied, “Yes, what we agreed on, yep it’s all
there,” Taylor placed the envelope on her desk and stated, “We are all
done,” the affidavit alleges.
If convicted of the bribery charge, Taylor, who remains free on bond,
would face up to 15 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s
Office.
Felecia Edna Taylor bless you heart. May the good Lord take mercy on your Soul. Because of you and people like you working as LOW LEVEL BUREAUCRATIC PLEEBS – many of us have lost faith in American government. I eat bitchrs like you for breakfast.
I did not never think you wood do something like this;was it worth it,you are going to lose everything,I’m praying for you girl,dam your peniston is out the door.