United States Attorney David Capp

Northern District of Indiana

5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 1500

Hammond, Indiana 46320

Hammond                                                 South Bend                                               Fort Wayne

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         CONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

July 8, 2011                                                                                         PHONE: (219) 937-5500

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

INDICTMENTS RETURNED IN FEDERAL COURT

Hammond, Indiana—The United States Attorney's Office announced the following:

Brittney Walker-Lipsey, 30, of East Chicago, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with eight counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns. Walker-Lipsey worked as a tax preparer for Quick Sam in Gary, Indiana. From on or about 1/1/10 to 4/15/10 and 1/1/11 to 4/15/11 Walker-Lipsey prepared returns representing that the taxpayers were entitled to claim deductions for items and amounts that the taxpayers were not entitled to claim. The indictment alleges false claims in amounts totaling approximately $122,000. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Chanel Bandy, 33, of Merrillville, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with nine counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns. Bandy worked as a tax preparer for Quick Sam in Gary, Indiana. From on or about 1/1/10 to 4/15/10 and 1/1/11 to 4/15/11, Bandy prepared returns representing that the taxpayers were entitled to claim deductions for items and amounts that the taxpayers were not entitled to claim. The indictment alleges false claims in amounts totaling approximately $112,000. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Darren Dunham, 46, of Kokomo, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with 21 counts of assisting another in the preparation of false income tax returns, 4 counts of filing a fraudulent tax return, and 1 count of identity theft. Dunham, a former director of Home with Hope, a drug rehabilitation center in Lafayette, Indiana, is the sole proprietor of D.A.D. Income Tax Service, which he runs out of Lafayette, Kokomo, Indianapolis, and Chicago, preparing personal tax returns. The indictment alleges false claims in amounts totaling approximately $281,000. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

            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.