Horry County woman facing several counts of tax evasion

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Published: Dec. 19, 2025 at 3:16 PM EST

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - State agents have arrested a woman in Horry County for tax evasion.

The South Carolina Department of Revenue said that Leah Lavin, 45, of Myrtle Beach, was arrested after she allegedly failed to file a South Carolina Individual Income Tax return for tax years 2021-2024.

According to the arrest warrants, she claimed an exemption from state Income Tax with her employer.

The department says that during that time, Lavin earned in excess of $759,000 in gross income but paid nothing in state Individual Income Tax.

As a result, she owes more than $43,000 in taxes to the state.

Officials say that if convicted, Lavin faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines, plus the cost of prosecution.

She is being held in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

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