United States Attorney David Capp

Northern District of Indiana

M01-204 S. Main Street

South Bend, IN 46601

Hammond                                                 South Bend                                               Fort Wayne

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         CONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

September 10, 2010                                                                             PHONE: (219) 937-5500

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/                                                                    Fax: (219) 852-2770 

TAX PREPARER CONVICTED FOR TAX FRAUD

Hammond, Indiana—The United States Attorney's Office announced that today a jury convicted Joann Joyner-Williams of all 22 counts of an indictment charging her with preparing false tax returns for others and making false statements to the IRS about the filing of those returns.

Joanne Joyner-Williams, 47, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged by indictment with 20 counts of preparing false returns, and 2 counts of making false statements to the IRS. Joyner-Williams was a self employed tax preparer who claimed multiple false deductions and credits for taxpayers who did not tell Joyner-Williams they qualified for such deductions and credits. The total dollar amount of the fraud as detailed in the indictment is $194,869.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

The specific sentence in each case to be imposed upon conviction will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.