Southfield Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty To Aiding In The Preparation Of False Returns

A Southfield, Michigan resident pleaded guilty to willfully making false claims to the United States government by aiding in the preparation of false income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Carolyn Weber, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Claudia Prince, 42, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge John Corbett O’Meara.

According to court records, from 2009 to November 2011, Prince, doing business as A&C Tax Services, working out of her residence in Southfield, Michigan prepared forty-two individual tax returns for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010.  These tax returns were false.  Prince fabricated or inflated W-2 wage and earning statements, withholding information,   and education credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits).  Prince will be required to pay restitution of $107,846 to the Internal Revenue Service.

A sentencing hearing was set by Judge O’Meara for September 9, 2014 at 10am.   The maximum penalty for willfully aiding in the preparation of false tax returns is imprisonment of not more than three years and a $250,000 fine per each count.  

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Special Agents of the IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross MacKenzie.