United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

Amarillo Tax Preparer Charged With Tax Fraud

United States Attorney Jane J. Boyle announced that a federal grand jury in Amarillo, Texas, returned an indictment on Tuesday charging James Kevin Foster, a/k/a Kevin Foster, with 19 counts of fraud and making false statements on tax returns. It is anticipated that Foster, an Amarillo resident, will surrender to federal authorities this week. If convicted on all charges in the indictment, Foster faces a statutory maximum sentence of 57 years imprisonment and a $1.9 million fine.

The indictment states that Kevin Foster was in the profession of preparing income tax returns and had been identified as an Affiliated Tax Professional by Renaissance, The Tax People, Inc. Renaissance was a multi-level marketing company, headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, that purportedly specialized in the sales and service of home-based business packages involving tax strategies and tax services. As part of the home-based business package, Renaissance offered tax support to its members in the form of tax preparation, tax advice, and "audit protection." The indictment further states that individual taxpayers learned about Foster's tax preparation services from Foster and other promoters at Renaissance seminars.

According to the indictment, on various dates in April 2000, April 2001, and April 2002, Foster willfully aided and assisted in, procured, counseled, and advised the preparation and presentation to the Internal Revenue Service of U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, which were false. False items on the returns included Schedule A deductions for charitable contributions and business expenses, including mileage, Schedule C business losses, and other losses on Line 21, to which Foster knew that the tax payers were not entitled.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty

U.S. Attorney Boyle acknowledged and praised the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vicki Lamberson of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney's Office.

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