TAX PREPARER SENTENCED FOR FILING FRAUDULENT TAX RETURNS
JATERA MITCHELL, age 28, a resident of Laplace, was sentenced today in federal court by U. S. District Judge Stanwood Duval to five (5) years probation for filing fraudulent tax returns, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition, Judge Duval ordered that MITCHELL pay restitution in the amount of $26,030.00 to the IRS.
According to court documents, MITCHELL was engaged in the business of preparing and filing income tax returns. MITCHELL made up false information on tax returns to increase the amount of tax refunds her clients would receive. The tax returns were fraudulent in that they contained false Schedule C income and expenses, false dependents, false education expenses, and false federal telephone excise tax credits.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Dall Kammer.
