FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
February 6, 2012	PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae	usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 1:11-cr-00045-AWI

            FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that today Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii sentenced Bertha Renell Vaughn, aka Bertha Renell Milton, 41, of Bakersfield, to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and more than $1 million in restitution for four counts of aiding and assisting in the presentation of a false income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service.

            According to court documents, Vaughn owned and operated a tax preparation business in Bakersfield, Nationwide Tax Solution, also referred to as Vaughn’s Tax Service. In preparing the returns for her clients, Vaughn willfully prepared the false income tax returns by adding false items in the return, such as deductions, losses, income, wages, and withholdings. The added items were not claimed by the taxpayers, but were fabricated and created by Vaughn. The more complicated the return, the more Vaughn charged in professional fees to her clients. Vaughn added the false items on the tax return in order to have the IRS generate a refund to the taxpayer and to charge her clients the higher fees. Documents filed with the court showed that over 90 percent of the taxpayers using Vaughn’s services received a tax refund from the IRS.

            This case was the product of an extensive investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

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