On February 28, 2011, Brenda Mason, 50, of Centreville, Ill.-, entered a plea of guilty to an Indictment charging her with Making a False 2008 Federal Income Tax Return the United states Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. As part of her plea, Mason admitted to assisting relatives and others with obtaining fictitious W-2's so that the other people could also file false federal tax returns to obtain refunds. Sentencing is currently scheduled for June 10, 2011, in U.S. District Court, in East St. Louis. The offense carries a maximum potential punishment of up to three (3) years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and up to one (1) year supervised release. As part of the plea, Mason admitted to making a false 2008 federal income tax return in order to obtain a fraudulent federal income tax refund that was based on falsified W-2 earnings.

The prosecution in this case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.

If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with the tax laws, you may report this activity by contacting the local Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation Office at (618) 622-2160 or by mailing information to: Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93888.

 

 

 

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