Feds: Philly IRS worker cheated on taxes

A Philadelphia woman is facing federal charges for allegedly collecting five years worth of unemployment compensation and failing to report the income on her tax return forms, all while working full time for the Internal Revenue Service.

Lora Lewis, 51, also allegedly took numerous tax credits for which she was not eligible, including a first-time homebuyers' credit, an earned income credit and an education credit, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern Pennsylvania said.

Lewis is further accused of claiming bogus tax deductions, including IRA contributions that were never made and an automobile that was never purchased, in a bid to reduce her taxable income.

The financial misdeeds allegedly occurred from 2007 through 2011. In all, Lewis defrauded the federal government out of $39,000, prosecutors estimated.

Lewis is charged with one count of filing false income tax returns. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison, the payment of restitution to the IRS and a fine of up to $250,000, one year of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.