Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns

WASHINGTON - A resident of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States with regard to tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Louisiana.

According to court documents, Carlanda Allegra Isaac worked for Pelican Income Tax and Bookkeeping Services LLC, located in Bridge City and Kenner, Louisiana, and then later at another tax preparation business called Taxes by J.A.D.A., which was located in New Orleans. Isaac and others conspired to defraud the United States by falsifying client tax returns to include false income, withholding, education credits, in order to fraudulently inflate the clients’ tax refunds. Isaac charged a fee for preparing these returns, which was often deducted from the client’s refund.  

When sentenced, Isaac faces a maximum sentence of five years, three years of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Louisiana praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division for its work in investigating this case.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi, Department of Justice Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice.