(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
 
 

Monroe, Louisiana . . .  The last remaining one of a trio of defendants who were indicted on tax fraud charges was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Robert G. James, United States Attorney Donald W. Washington announced.

CALVIN KEMP, age 39, of Ruston, Louisiana, was sentenced to spend 6 months in prison.  KEMP was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $39,081.  The other two defendants, VINCENT EASTERWOOD, age 35, and GWENDOLYN RIVERS, age 40, husband and wife from Marion, Louisiana, were sentenced earlier this year.  EASTERWOOD was sentenced to spend 15 months in prison and RIVERS was sentenced to spend 6 months in prison.  Both were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $39,081 to the Internal Revenue Service.

The three defendants were indicted in July 2004, and charged with conspiracy to file false claims and filing of false or fictitious federal income tax returns.  Between April and May 2002, while working at FastTax and ExpressTax, EASTERWOOD, RIVERS and KEMP participated in a scheme wherein they created false W-2s which were in turn used to create false tax returns claiming refunds for individuals who were recruited by them.  This scheme allowed the taxpayers to receive higher refunds than the amount to which they would have been entitled.

Sentencing in federal court is determined by the discretion of federal judges and the governing statute.  United States Sentencing Guidelines established by the United States Congress and the United States Sentencing Commission are only used as guidelines by the judge in determining the appropriate sentence. Parole has been abolished in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha J. Levardsen.

For further information, please contact United States Attorney Donald W. Washington at 337-262-6618 or First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Flanagan at 318-676-3600.

This and other press releases issued by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana can be found at our website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/law.

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