Hallandale Beach Tax Preparer Sentenced For Filing False Tax Returns On Behalf Of Himself And His Clients

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), announce that defendant Efrain Felipe, 41, of Hallandale Beach, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. Defendant Felipe was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In addition, Felipe was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $17,989. Felipe previously pled guilty to a two-count Information, charging him with making and subscribing a false tax return on behalf of a client, and aiding and abetting, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 7206(1) and 7206(2).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Felipe operated a tax preparation business in Broward County, and prepared tax returns on behalf of his customers, falsely claiming that some customers were entitled to a First Time Home Buyers Credit (FTHBC) of $7,500 for properties they did not own or for properties that were purchased years earlier. Felipe also falsely claimed the FTHBC on his own personal tax return.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman O. Hemming, III.

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.