U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney's Office
District of Delaware

Nemours Building
1007 N. Orange Street, Suite 700
P.O. Box 2046
Wilmington, Delaware 19899-2046

Telephone (302) 573-6277
FAX (302) 573-6220

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 11, 2004

Colm F. Connolly, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware and Gregory R. Szczeszek, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, announced today that a federal grand jury for the District of Delaware returned an indictment(1) against two tax preparers for preparing and presenting to the Internal Revenue Service individual tax returns on behalf of their clients that contained materially false and misleading information. The defendants, Karin L. Long, 47, of Lewes, Delaware, and Rockaway Park, New York, and Melissa Meyer, 34, of Rehoboth, Delaware are charged with having prepared, between them, twenty-six individual tax returns in which itemized deductions for, among other items, charitable expenses, work related expenses, and financial planning expenses were falsely and fraudulently stated with their knowledge. The false tax returns were prepared for the 2000 and 2001 tax years on behalf of various Delaware residents. The indictment also alleges that Long and Meyer conspired to present materially false and fraudulent individual tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service.

Defendant Long faces a maximum prison term of 83 years. Defendant Meyers faces a maximum prison term of 23 years. Long and Meyer will be issued a summons to appear in Federal District Court in Wilmington to answer to the charges possibly as soon as April 1, 2004.

Connolly said that the charges demonstrate the United States Attorney's Office's commitment to prosecuting individuals who defraud the federal government. Connolly said, "When tax preparers assist their clients in filing false individual tax returns, it hurts the taxpayers who diligently pay the taxes they owe. When unlawful conduct by tax preparers comes to the attention of the Internal Revenue Service, it will be investigated with vigor. The Government will pursue both civil and criminal charges where appropriate."

This case was investigated by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Wilmington, Delaware.

For further information, contact Assistant United States Attorney Adam Safwat at (302) 573-6277, extension 126.

(1) An indictment is only an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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