Kansas Tax Return Preparer Sentenced To Prison For Filing False Tax Returns

A Holcomb, Kansas tax return preparer was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison for filing a fraudulent income tax return and aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister for the District of Kansas.

According to documents and information provided to the court, Marcelino Almaraz owned Accounting Services, a business that provided tax preparation services.  Almaraz fraudulently sought to obtain refunds for individuals by including false filing statuses such as head of household and adding phony dependents in an effort to trigger and inflate child tax credits.  Almaraz also falsified his own income tax returns for 2010 and 2011 by underreporting his income. 

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Julie A. Robinson ordered Almaraz to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $397,552 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney McAllister commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorney John T. Mulcahy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble, who prosecuted the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.