Tampa Judge Shuts Down Florida Tax Preparer

WASHINGTON – A federal judge in Tampa, Fla., has permanently barred a Spring Hill, Fla., tax preparer from preparing federal tax returns, the Justice Department announced today. U.S. District Court Judge James D. Whittemore of the Middle District of Florida entered the permanent injunction order against Gerard Mirabella, who consented to it.

According to the Justice Department complaint in the case, Mirabella prepared federal income tax returns claiming false deductions for medical expenses, charitable contributions, non-existent businesses and other items. The tax loss from Mirabella’s conduct was alleged to be as high as $1.7 million. The complaint also alleged that Mirabella falsely told customers that he was a former IRS employee and that the returns he prepared were "pre-audited" by the IRS.

D. Patrick Mullarkey, the Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division, thanked Justice Department trial attorney Dorotha M. Ocker, who handled the case, and Holly Shields, a revenue agent with the Internal Revenue Service’s Small Business/Self Employed Division, who handled the investigation.

In the past decade the Justice Department has obtained injunctions against more than 420 tax preparers and tax fraud promoters. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s Tax Division Web site.