United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

TAX PREPARER PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES STEMMING FROM THE FILING OF FRAUDULENT TAX RETURNS

Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SOPHIA RUSSELL, 33, of Gloria Street, Windsor, pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford to three counts of making false, fictitious and fraudulent claims to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from January to May 2004, RUSSELL was an employee of Check Stop of Connecticut, LLC, and worked as a tax preparer in a basement level office of the business’s location at 190 Farmington Avenue in Hartford.  In pleading guilty, RUSSELL admitted that she prepared fraudulent tax returns and filed them electronically with the IRS, causing bogus refunds to be issued.  Included in some of the returns were improper deductions for dependents, and fraudulent child care credits, child tax credits, earned income credits and educational credits.

RUSSELL attempted to make $21,888 in claims through her fraudulent tax preparation, and as a result of the submission of the false tax returns, the U.S. Treasury paid a total of $13,587, and the Household Bank (now HSBC Bank), which granted anticipation loans based on claimed refunds, paid $1,319.05.

RUSSELL is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on January 22, 2010, at which time RUSSELL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of up to $750,000.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James G. Genco.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov