ALLEGED FRAUDULENT TAX PREPARER INDICTED

(LAREDO, Texas) - Alma De Leon has been arrested following the return of a 41-count indictment alleging she aided and assisted in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today. 

The indictment, returned under seal by a Laredo federal grand jury on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, was unsealed this morning during De Leon’s initial appearance before United States Magistrate Court Judge Diana Saldaña. De Leon was arrested last night by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division (IRS - CID). This morning, Judge Saldaña ordered De Leon to remain in federal custody without bond pending a detention hearing set for Monday, April 26, 2010.

In 41 separate counts the indictment alleges that between tax years of 2004 to 2007 De Leon aided and assisted in the preparation of U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, which were false and fraudulent in representing that taxpayers were entitled to claim specified amounts in business losses which De Leon knew they were not entitled to claim. Each of the counts lists a dollar amount, under line 12 of Schedule C, as a business loss which was allegedly falsely claimed. The fraudulent amounts alleged are different in each count and range from $14,491 to $107,501. De Leon is accused of having assisted in the preparation of 41 fraudulent tax returns for a total of 14 different taxpayers during the four-year-period alleged in the indictment.  

De Leon faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for and a $100,000 fine, upon conviction, for each count.

This case was investigated by the IRS - CID and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roberto F. Ramirez.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

 

 

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