TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka tax return preparer has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for filing false federal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. He was ordered to more than $209,000 in restitution.

John Karundo Mukundi, 33, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making false claims and 12 counts of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he obtained tax preparation software from Tax Wise and used it to submit fraudulent tax returns electronically to the Internal Revenue Service. He used the tax returns to obtain advanced payments of refunds through refund anticipation loans and refund transfers from banks. Mukundi used the names and Social Security numbers of real people who were not aware that he was using their identities to file false federal income tax returns.

Grissom commended the IRS- Criminal Investigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hathaway for their work on the case.

 

 

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