Press Release
HIALEAH TAX RETURN PREPARER CHARGED WITH PREPARING FALSE INCOME TAX RETURNS FOR CLIENTS
June 16, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Daniel W. Auer, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, announced today that defendant Zully M. Cordoba, of Hialeah, FL, has been charged in a forty-five count Indictment with aiding in the preparation of numerous false federal income tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2), and filing false income tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to the Indictment, from January 2001 through April 2003, Cordoba was a paid tax preparer and conducted a tax-return preparation business from her residence in Hialeah, FL. From April 2003 through April 2005, Cordoba continued her tax preparation business under the name "Cordoba Tax Services" from storefront offices in a mall in Hialeah, FL. During this time, Cordoba allegedly prepared and assisted in the preparation of more than 3,700 Form 1040 individual tax returns and more than 6,100 Form 1040X amended individual tax returns.
The Indictment alleges that Cordoba prepared and submitted tax returns to the IRS on behalf of numerous clients, in which she knowingly claimed false employee business expenses, false charitable donation deductions, and other false deductions for her clients for tax years 2000 through 2004. Cordoba also prepared and filed false Forms 1040 Individual Income Tax Returns for tax years 2002, 2003 and 2004 for herself, in which she knowingly understated the gross receipts of her tax preparation business.
In addition, Cordoba allegedly charged a $10 fee to review her clients' original income tax returns and determine whether Form 1040X amended tax returns could be filed on their behalf. Upon completing that review, Cordoba filed false amended returns, charging her clients up to 10% of the expected tax refund based on the additional false deductions that Cordoba claimed in the amended returns.
If convicted, Cordoba faces a maximum term of imprisonment of up to (3) three years on each count of aiding in the preparation of others' false tax returns, and up to three (3) years for each count of filing false personal tax returns.
Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter B. Outerbridge.
Attachments:
Indictment (PDF)
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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