Nobody wants to talk about how corrupt the IRS can be, so many people don’t trust the institution.

The Director for COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement, Kevin Chambers, said, “This matter demonstrates the brazenness with which bad actors have taken advantage of federal programs meant to help those who suffered most from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department will continue to work hard to root out PP and EIDL Program fraud, including that committed by government employees.”

Five IRS employees (current or former) have been charged with stealing COVID relief funds to pay for their lavish lifestyles, including trips to Vegas and buying Gucci.

According to the Department of Justice, the employees hail from Tennessee and Mississippi and allegedly received thousands of dollars from funds allocated for COVID relief.

The five employees submitted false loan applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to gain over $1M in funding.

According to court documents, once they received the money, they used it to bankroll a lavish lifestyle, including buying fancy cars, luxury goods such as Gucci, and personal trips to Vegas.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., said of the theft, “The IRS employees charged in these cases allegedly abused the trust placed in them by the public. The Criminal Division is committed to safeguarding that public trust and protecting pandemic relief programs for the American people.”